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national

[nash-uh-nl, nash-nuh l]
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adjective
  1. of, relating to, or maintained by a nation as an organized whole or independent political unit: national affairs.
  2. owned, preserved, or maintained by the federal government: a national wildlife refuge.
  3. peculiar or common to the whole people of a country: national customs.
  4. devoted to one's own nation, its interests, etc.; patriotic: to stir up national pride.
  5. nationalist.
  6. concerning or encompassing an entire nation: a national radio network.
  7. limited to one nation.
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noun
  1. a citizen or subject of a particular nation who is entitled to its protection: U.S. nationals living abroad.
  2. Often nationals. a national competition, tournament, or the like: We're invited to Minneapolis for the nationals.
  3. a national company or organization.
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Origin of national

First recorded in 1590–1600; nation + -al1
Related formsna·tion·al·ly, adverban·ti·na·tion·al, adjectivean·ti·na·tion·al·ly, adverbnon·na·tion·al, adjective, nounnon·na·tion·al·ly, adverbpre·na·tion·al, adjectivepro·na·tion·al, adjectivepseu·do·na·tion·al, adjectivepseu·do·na·tion·al·ly, adverbqua·si-na·tion·al, adjectivequa·si-na·tion·al·ly, adverbsub·na·tion·al, adjectiveun·na·tion·al, adjectiveun·na·tion·al·ly, adverb
Can be confusedfederal national
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for nationally

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • Nationally, the Poles felt that from their point of view there was nothing to hope from it.

  • Personally and nationally there are no duplicates in the social scheme.

    Child and Country

    Will Levington Comfort

  • Nationally for several generations we have enjoyed freedom; but let us beware.

  • The Bulgar wanted the Macedonian to be one with him nationally, as he is racially.

    The Iron Ration

    George Abel Schreiner

  • Manufacturing and selling, nationally speaking, were up to the average.

    The Railroad Problem

    Edward Hungerford

British Dictionary definitions for nationally

national

adjective
  1. of, involving, or relating to a nation as a whole
  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular nationthe national dress of Poland
  3. rare nationalistic or patriotic
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noun
  1. a citizen or subject
  2. a national newspaper
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Derived Formsnationally, adverb

National

noun
  1. the National short for the Grand National
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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

Word Origin and History for nationally

national

adj.

1590s, from Middle French national (from Old French nation), and also from nation + -al (1). As a noun, "citizen of a (particular) nation," from 1887. National anthem first recorded 1819, in Shelley. Related: Nationally.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper