nationality

[ nash-uh-nal-i-tee ]

/ ˌnæʃ əˈnæl ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for nationality on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural na·tion·al·i·ties for 1, 2, 5, 6.

the status of belonging to a particular nation, whether by birth or naturalization: the nationality of an immigrant.

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

nationalism.

existence as a distinct nation; national independence: a small colony that has just achieved nationality.

a nation or people: the nationalities of the Americas.

a national quality or character: Nationalities tend to submerge and disappear in a metropolis.

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Origin of nationality

First recorded in 1685–95; national + -ity

Words nearby nationality

National Industrial Recovery Act, national insurance, nationalism, nationalist, Nationalist China, nationality, nationalization, nationalize, National Labor Relations Act, National Labor Relations Board, National League

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use nationality in a sentence

People seem intuitively to understand that the virus doesn’t respect identity or nationality, that it is a symptom of a larger, transnational condition.
The virus caused more than a pandemic. It set us all ablaze.|Philip Kennicott|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
The United Nations estimates that perhaps more than 10 million people throughout the world are stateless — meaning they have no true nationality and are citizens of nowhere.
The New Meaning of Citizenship|Daniel Malloy|December 13, 2020|Ozy
Participants who had positive feelings about people of other races, nationalities, and ethnicities estimated cities in Mexico and Canada as being closer than those who held negative or neutral feelings.
How border walls trick the human brain and psyche|Jessica Wapner|October 2, 2020|Popular-Science
When we look at everyone’s nationalities, it becomes clear that we’re all more similar in how we experience loneliness than we might expect.
Letter-writing staved off lockdown loneliness. Now it’s getting out the vote.|Tanya Basu|September 18, 2020|MIT Technology Review

They may even unintentionally favor players of certain nationalities, races, ages or backgrounds.
A robot referee can really keep its ‘eye’ on the ball|Kathryn Hulick|August 20, 2020|Science News For Students
Hossein Darakhshan, born in Tehran on January 7, 1975, has dual Canadian-Iranian nationality.
Iran’s Blogfather Walks Free After Six Years in Jail|IranWire|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She did, however, choose to surmise that “The nationality of the shooter, it sounds Hispanic, Latino,” based on his name.
The Ugliest, Creepiest Responses to the Fort Hood Shooting|Caitlin Dickson|April 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Is falafel Israeli and can fried chickpeas have a nationality?
Watching Anthony Bourdain in Palestine|Maysoon Zayid|September 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
VVD, the biggest party in Dutch government, is even in favor of stripping them of Dutch nationality.
Seduced by War, Europeans Join the Fight in Syria|Nadette De Visser|June 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Israel is guilty of blurring the line between nationality and faith, too.
No, Most Palestinians Aren't Anti-Semites|Maysoon Zayid|May 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It was a fatal error, for though the Spanish people might despise their King, they were intensely proud of their nationality.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
Foreign families of neutral nationality sought more tranquil asylum far beyond the suburbs or on ships lying in the harbour.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
An American woman therefore who marries an alien takes the nationality of her husband.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
But if he was unconcerned as to family descent, he was far from indifferent as to nationality.
The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky
They have no nationality, and are officially described as “Filipinos under the protection of the United States.”
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

British Dictionary definitions for nationality

nationality

/ (ˌnæʃəˈnælɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

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

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

a national group30 different nationalities are found in this city

national character or quality

the state or fact of being a nation; national status

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

nationality

Origin of nationality

Words nearby nationality

Words related to nationality

How to use nationality in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nationality