na·tion·al
ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl 
1
: of or relating to a nation
national boundaries
the national flag
2
3
: comprising or characteristic of a nationality
his national accent was plainly audible—
Elinor Wylie
Elinor Wylie4
: belonging to or maintained by the federal government
the National Museum of American History
5
: of, relating to, or being a coalition (see coalition sense 2) government formed by most or all major political parties usually in a crisis
nationally
adverb
1
: one that owes allegiance to or is under the protection of a nation without regard to the more formal status of citizen or subject
2
: a competition that is national in scope
—usually used in plural
Synonyms
Examples of national in a Sentence
Adjective
She won the national championship last year.
His test scores were higher than the national average.
Doing well in the Olympics is a matter of national pride.
Baseball is called America's national pastime.
The game was shown on national television.
Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
the National Museum of Art
Noun
She's a Mexican national now working in the United States.
The U.S. Nationals will be held in New York City this year.
Recent Examples on the WebTodd Spangler, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
As with China, the United States needs to spend more on the foundations of its competitiveness and national security to succeed over the long term.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
James Clapper [former US director of national intelligence] was also worried about this, but so was President Obama.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Apr. 2024
The rankings evaluated nearly 18,000 eligible public high schools at the national, state and local levels, according to a U.S. News & World Report news release.
—Al Gaspeny, arkansasonline.com, 23 Apr. 2024
Legislators introduced the bill to address concerns that the Chinese government, through TikTok’s Chinese owners, could be using the app to steal American users’ data and threaten national security.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
The group made national headlines in 1978 when a lawyer named Paul Morantz, who had won a $300,000 settlement from Synanon, nearly died from a rattlesnake bite after Synanon zealots planted the animal in his mailbox.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The national average is up 18.7 cents from a month ago and 1.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Recognizing the potential of Earth Day, Hayes assembled a national staff to collaborate with organizations nationwide.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
But the fates of about 100 hostages — including Israelis and foreign nationals, peace activists and soldiers, mothers and grandfathers — are still unclear, six months after the start of the war.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
His advocacy led to freedom for a Mexican national jailed in a case of mistaken identity.
—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
The attack killed six foreign nationals and a Palestinian, all of whom had handled the food aid that had arrived in Gaza by sea.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
In 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Masih Alinejad HUNT Act, imposing sanctions on foreign nationals who harass human-rights activists on behalf of Iran’s government.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Other than the preferential visas, sanctions on Russian air carriers and reciprocal bans on Western airlines have slashed the destinations where Russian nationals can escape their frigid winter, making already-popular Thailand an easier choice.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
The administration has worked with allies in the region to receive nationals from hostile countries deported from the United States.
—Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, three from the UK, and a Palestinian, the aid group said.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Popular on Variety Ahead of the vote, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, delivered comments on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon about the national security threats posed by ByteDance’s ownership of TikTok.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024
As with China, the United States needs to spend more on the foundations of its competitiveness and national security to succeed over the long term.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024
James Clapper [former US director of national intelligence] was also worried about this, but so was President Obama.
—Lauren Goode, WIRED, 23 Apr. 2024
The rankings evaluated nearly 18,000 eligible public high schools at the national, state and local levels, according to a U.S. News & World Report news release.
—Al Gaspeny, arkansasonline.com, 23 Apr. 2024
Legislators introduced the bill to address concerns that the Chinese government, through TikTok’s Chinese owners, could be using the app to steal American users’ data and threaten national security.
—Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2024
The group made national headlines in 1978 when a lawyer named Paul Morantz, who had won a $300,000 settlement from Synanon, nearly died from a rattlesnake bite after Synanon zealots planted the animal in his mailbox.
—Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The national average is up 18.7 cents from a month ago and 1.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.
—Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024
Recognizing the potential of Earth Day, Hayes assembled a national staff to collaborate with organizations nationwide.
—Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024
Noun
The relationship between human rights and the climate crisis will be explored this week, when the Inter-American Court on Human Rights will hear testimony from experts from around the globe and Caribbean nationals in Barbados.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Apr. 2024
But the fates of about 100 hostages — including Israelis and foreign nationals, peace activists and soldiers, mothers and grandfathers — are still unclear, six months after the start of the war.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
His advocacy led to freedom for a Mexican national jailed in a case of mistaken identity.
—Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
The attack killed six foreign nationals and a Palestinian, all of whom had handled the food aid that had arrived in Gaza by sea.
—Adam Rasgon, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024
In 2021, the U.S. Congress passed the Masih Alinejad HUNT Act, imposing sanctions on foreign nationals who harass human-rights activists on behalf of Iran’s government.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024
Other than the preferential visas, sanctions on Russian air carriers and reciprocal bans on Western airlines have slashed the destinations where Russian nationals can escape their frigid winter, making already-popular Thailand an easier choice.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
The administration has worked with allies in the region to receive nationals from hostile countries deported from the United States.
—Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2024
Those killed include a dual US-Canada national, as well as people from Australia, Poland, three from the UK, and a Palestinian, the aid group said.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'national.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near national
Cite this Entry
“National.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
national
1 of 2 adjective
na·tion·al
ˈnash-nəl
-ən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to a nation
national elections
2
: belonging to or maintained by the federal government
national cemeteries
nationally
adverb
-ē
national
2 of 2 noun1
: a person who owes allegiance to or is under the protection of a nation
2
: a competition that is national in scope
—usually used in plural
qualified for the figure skating nationals
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share