of, relating to, or maintained by a nation as an organized whole or independent political unit.
national affairs.
owned, preserved, or maintained by the federal government.
a national wildlife refuge.
peculiar or common to the whole people of a country.
national customs.
devoted to one's own nation, its interests, etc.; patriotic.
to stir up national pride.
concerning or encompassing an entire nation.
a national radio network.
limited to one nation.
a citizen or subject of a particular nation who is entitled to its protection.
U.S. nationals living abroad.
Often nationals. a national competition, tournament, or the like.
We're invited to Minneapolis for the nationals.
a national company or organization.
of, involving, or relating to a nation as a whole
of, relating to, or characteristic of a particular nation
the national dress of Poland
rare nationalistic or patriotic
a citizen or subject
a national newspaper
National is an adjective that refers to something or someone that belongs to a nation or country. Baseball is the national pastime of the United States. The word national describes anything that is common to, shared by, or represents a group of people or a place that is considered a nation, like the national anthem sung before the national pastime of baseball. National statistics provide information about a country as a whole. During times of war, the national mood is usually tense and sad. A national is also a citizen of a nation. You might be called an “American national” if you are an American living in Paris.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nereyda said this year hasn’t been as bad as a year ago when Hernandez was first thrust into a national anti-trans backlash.
From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026
The Baltic country spends 5% of its GDP on national defence, Silina noted, which she said entailed a "much higher level of responsibility toward society... that requires clear results".
From BBC • May 14, 2026
The breakdown, however, isn’t quite half and half, at least at the national level.
From Salon • May 14, 2026
Typically, states create new congressional maps every 10 years, in line with the national decennial census.
From Slate • May 14, 2026
Since I was a little kid, our family has spent every school break lounging on a sandy beach, hiking in a national park, or exploring a foreign city.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
