citizenship

noun

cit·i·zen·ship | \ ˈsi-tə-zən-ˌship

also -sən- \

Essential Meaning of citizenship

1 : the fact or status of being a citizen of a particular place She applied for Polish citizenship. He was granted U.S. citizenship. See More Examplesthe rights of citizenship She has dual citizenship. [=she is a citizen of two countries]Hide

2 : the qualities that a person is expected to have as a responsible member of a community The students are learning the value of good citizenship. She is an example of what true citizenship is all about. [=her behavior is an example of how a good citizen should act]

Full Definition of citizenship

1 : the status of being a citizen He was granted U.S. citizenship.

2a : membership in a community (such as a college)

b : the quality of an individual's response to membership in a community The students are learning the value of good citizenship.

Examples of citizenship in a Sentence

She applied for Polish citizenship. He was granted U.S. citizenship. The students are learning the value of good citizenship.

Recent Examples on the Web Abu Hassan explained that while some lawmakers fear the amendment will override the terms of inheritance or citizenship law, the main objective of the amendment is to ensure that women have a more active role in public life. — Celine Alkhaldi, CNN, 29 Dec. 2021 The state’s definition of a hate crime is being expanded to include acts of violence, theft or a host of other offenses against another person because of their immigration or citizenship status. — Jeremy Gorner, chicagotribune.com, 28 Dec. 2021 Germany wants to encourage its citizens to stay in work for longer before retiring and liberalize migration and citizenship rules. — Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, 22 Dec. 2021 Upon stepping into his role in 2012, Lassere focused on rebranding the museum and implemented a plan that focused on education, social justice, global citizenship and gender equity, per a news release. — Ben Tobin, The Courier-Journal, 2 Dec. 2021 Hifter’s purported dual U.S. citizenship and assault on Tripoli. — Washington Post, 2 Dec. 2021 India ranks poorly on the passport index brought out by Henley & Partners, a global citizenship and advisory firm based in London. — Manavi Kapur, Quartz, 30 Nov. 2021 Yet, granting permanent residency or citizenship requires a significant overhaul, and right now the system seems broken. — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Nov. 2021 The parole classification does not provide beneficiaries a direct pathway to apply for a green card or citizenship. — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'citizenship.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.