nationality
nationality Lexical Profile
nationality Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The legal status or relationship of belonging to a particular sovereign nation, acquired either by birth or through naturalization.
"Applicants must state their full name, date of birth, and nationality on the visa form."
An ethnic group or people sharing a common history, language, and cultural identity that forms a part of a larger political unit or spans multiple states.
"The former empire was home to dozens of distinct nationalities speaking different languages."
The state or quality of having separate political existence and identity as an independent nation.
"Through decades of diplomatic struggle, the territory finally achieved recognized nationality."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Nationality' refers to legal belonging to a sovereign country, whereas 'ethnicity' refers to shared cultural, linguistic, or ancestral heritage, and 'citizenship' emphasizes active political rights and duties within a state.
• Rhymes for nationality
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Entered English in the late 17th century from French 'nationalité', derived from 'national', which ultimately traces back to the Latin 'natio' ('birth, tribe, or nation'), from the verb 'nasci' ('to be born').