national

1 of 2

adjective

na·​tion·​al ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl 

1

: of or relating to a nation

national boundaries

the national flag

2

: nationalist

3

: comprising or characteristic of a nationality

… his national accent was plainly audible …

—Elinor 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

Synonyms of national

Adjective

• federal
• civil
• internal
• municipal
• public
• government

Noun

• citizen

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

After the killings garnered national attention, Mackie says a former student of Monique's, from about 15 years ago, reached out to the family to share how impactful Monique had been in their life —something Mackie says speaks volumes about the deceased mother of two. —Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026

Since his resignation the national political landscape has been in disarray, with a revolving door of different leaders. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026

Noun

In early 2025, a former Dodgers batting practice coach had one of his World Series rings stolen by a duo of Romanian nationals in Arcadia. —Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Spain’s coastal market has typically been powered by foreign second-home buyers, while cities are the main residential market for Spanish nationals. —Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1845, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing national

• anti-national
• cross-national
• gross national product
• in the national/public interest
• national anthem
• national bank
• national costume
• national debt
• national forest
• national guard
• national guardsman
• national income
• national monument
• national park
• national seashore
• national socialism
• national treasure
• sub-national

Rhymes for national

• rational
• binational
• irrational
• subnational
• transnational
• international
• multinational
• supranational

Kids 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

-ē

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