nationality

noun

na·tion·al·i·ty | \ ˌna-shə-ˈna-lə-tē

, ˌnash-ˈna-\

plural nationalities

Definition of nationality

1 : national character the nationality of Ireland is in her songs and in her stories, and in her chronicles and in her tradition— W. B. Yeats

2 : nationalism sense 1

3a : national status specifically : a legal relationship involving allegiance on the part of an individual and usually protection on the part of the state nationality bestowed by birth

b : membership in a particular nation Vietnamese nationality

4 : political independence or existence as a separate nation

5a : a people having a common origin, tradition, and language and capable of forming or actually constituting a nation-state The diverse nationalities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire desired independence.

b : an ethnic group constituting one element of a larger unit (such as a nation) The country is home to five nationalities.

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about nationality

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of nationality in a Sentence

The country is home to five nationalities and seven languages. people of all races and nationalities She's American, but her parents are of Japanese nationality. He has held French nationality for the past 20 years. The university has students of over 50 nationalities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Thirteen were American citizens, seven were Mexican nationals, one was German and one other’s nationality was undetermined. — New York Times, "Families of El Paso Victims Waited in Anguish After Shooting," 5 Aug. 2019 Guatemalans accounted for 34% of Border Patrol detentions on the U.S.-Mexico border from October to June, more than any other nationality. — Washington Post, "Guatemalan activists protest migrant asylum pact with US," 29 July 2019 Guatemalans accounted for 34% of Border Patrol arrests on the Mexican border from October to June, more than any other nationality. — NBC News, "U.S., Guatemala sign agreement to restrict asylum cases," 26 July 2019 Guatemalans accounted for 34% of Border Patrol arrests on the Mexican border from October to June, more than any other nationality. — Colleen Long, The Denver Post, "U.S., Guatemala sign agreement to restrict asylum cases," 26 July 2019 Right now, convincing investors that a European airline can be a dividend-paying snoozefest may require a much stronger anesthetic than nationality. — Jon Sindreu, WSJ, "German Airline Promises to Bore You," 24 June 2019 The company, based in Little Tokyo, produces work representing Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean and other nationalities. — Makeda Easter, latimes.com, "For race-specific theater companies, the fight for diversity onstage is far from over," 13 June 2019 Twice as many trips are being taken abroad as 15 years ago, a jump driven partly by Chinese tourists, who spend far more on international travel than any other nationality. — Natasha Daly, National Geographic, "Suffering unseen: The dark truth behind wildlife tourism," 12 June 2019 The search for the teens has taken authorities about 2,000 miles across Canada’s rural north — from British Columbia to Manitoba — in a case with victims with three different nationalities. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Canadian murders: Small town on alert for teens believed to be in area," 26 July 2019

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