nationality

[nash-uh-nal-i-tee]

noun

plural

nationalities 

1. the status of belonging to a particular nation, whether by birth or naturalization.

   the nationality of an immigrant.

2. the relationship of property, holdings, etc., to a particular nation, or to one or more of its members.

   the nationality of a ship.

3. nationalism.

4. existence as a distinct nation; national independence.

   a small colony that has just achieved nationality.

5. a nation or people.

   the nationalities of the Americas.

6. a national quality or character.

   Nationalities tend to submerge and disappear in a metropolis.

nationality

/ ˌnæʃəˈnælɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or fact of being a citizen of a particular nation

2. a body of people sharing common descent, history, language, etc; a nation

3. a national group

   30 different nationalities are found in this city

4. national character or quality

5. the state or fact of being a nation; national status

Word History and Origins

Origin of nationality¹

First recorded in 1685–95; national + -ity

Example Sentences

"The only reason we received a level of scrutiny that would lead to such false accusations is because of our heritage and the nationality of one of our performers," they said.

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"People with Danish nationality can buy a property and land-use rights in Greenland," the new law specified.

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A Thai appeals court upheld China's extradition request this week for the 43-year-old, who also holds Cambodian nationality, after lengthy legal wrangling.

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It is difficult to establish the exact size of the UK's Kurdish population - official records tend to log nationality rather than ethnicity.

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Police did not give the nationalities of the dead and injured.

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Related Words

• citizenship 
• community 
• ethnic group www.thesaurus.com
• origin 
• society