national

1 of 2

adjective

na·​tion·​al ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce national (audio)
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 audibleElinor Wylie
4
: 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

national

2 of 2

noun

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
Choose the Right Synonym for national

citizen, subject, national mean a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state.

citizen is preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people.

the rights of a free citizen

subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.

the king's subjects

national designates one who may claim the protection of a state and applies especially to one living or traveling outside that state.

American nationals working in the Middle East

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 Web
Adjective
This perception contrasts with the latest CBS News national poll, which gives Haley a 9-point advantage over Mr. Biden among likely voters if the election were held today. Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024 The former president also received backing from North Carolina GOP Chairman Michael Whatley, who Trump has openly touted to lead the national Republican Party, as well as House Speaker Tim Moore. Kendrick Marshall, Charlotte Observer, 6 Mar. 2024 Johanna De Jesus Dos Santos, French gymnast who was the 2021 European balance beam champion, 2019 European all-around champion, and the 2017 and 2018 French national champion. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2024 Rebecca Cunningham, the vice president of research at the University of Michigan and an emergency medical doctor, organized a national conference last fall on the prevention of firearm harm that drew more than 750 academics and public health, law, and criminal justice experts. Christine Spolar, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 Clark burst onto the national stage as a junior in last year’s tournament, leading Iowa to a first NCAA national championship game in program history. Sam Joseph, CNN, 6 Mar. 2024 In the lead up to March 5, national Democrats threw their weight behind former Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, who came within a 3% margin of Valadao in the November 2022 congressional election. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 Laura Gersony covers national politics for the Arizona Republic. Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 The secret even made national news when writer Alex Beggs chronicled her visit to the Secret Bakery for Bon Appétit magazine. Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024
Noun
Chinese nationals are the biggest group of investors worldwide, and Turkey is one of the few places that will still naturalize wealthy Russians, according to Kristin Surak, an associate professor of political sociology at the London School of Economics, in The Golden Passport. Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Palmer's campaign focused on American Samoa, where, according to the Department of the Interior, residents are deemed U.S. nationals rather than U.S. citizens. Bill Chappell, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 In the decade since, more than 100 U.S. nationals who were taken hostage or wrongfully detained have been freed through negotiation. Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 5 Mar. 2024 Visas are not required for U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals. Eve Chen, USA TODAY, 24 Feb. 2024 The case, the latest detention involving an American citizen in Russia, drew a sharp warning from the White House that U.S. nationals should not remain in the country. Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Russian authorities detained a ballerina who is a Los Angeles resident and dual national on suspicion of treason. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 The United States has charged two Russian nationals with deploying Lockbit ransomware against companies and groups around the world. James Pearson and Karen Freifeld, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 Feb. 2024 The Estonian Internal Security Service arrested 10 individuals, including both Russian and Estonian nationals. Jim Sciutto, CNN, 20 Feb. 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.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of national was in 1580

Dictionary Entries Near national

Cite this Entry

“National.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

national

1 of 2 adjective
na·​tion·​al ˈnash-nəl How to pronounce national (audio)
-ən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to a nation
national elections
2
: belonging to or maintained by the federal government
national cemeteries
nationally
adverb

national

2 of 2 noun
1
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on national

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