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

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Synonyms for nationality

Synonyms

ethnicity, nation, race

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

While Tarek's ethnicity is half Middle-Eastern, his nationality is American, as he was born and raised in the United States. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Tarek El Moussa of 'Flip or Flop' Has the Most Interesting Family History," 20 Sep. 2018 No information has been given about the passengers and their nationalities, or what sort of injuries there are. — Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "Denali Plane Crash: Search Continues for Survivors," 6 Aug. 2018 When picking team managers, wise countries pass over their national heroes and appoint managers of any nationality who have proved themselves in western Europe’s tough football leagues. — The Economist, "For all its faults, the World Cup in Russia is worth celebrating," 9 June 2018 This law covers children of all nationalities except Canadians and Mexicans. — Salvador Rizzo, Anchorage Daily News, "The facts about Trump's policy of separating families at the border," 20 June 2018 Kruger said that in 2013 there were only 132,000 foreign residents, of all nationalities, living in Colombia. — Jim Wyss, miamiherald, "Almost 1 million people moved from Venezuela to Colombia in just two years, study shows," 13 June 2018 In recent years strikers Diego Costa and Eduardo have controversially represented Spain and Croatia after earning dual nationalities. — Henry Young, CNN, "Your Country Needs You! What nationality means to the modern-day footballer," 4 June 2018 Shakespeare endures alongside analyses of his flawed characterizations of all kinds of races, nationalities, religions and women. — Wesley Morris, New York Times, "Who Gets to Decide What Belongs in the ‘Canon’?," 30 May 2018 For its part, Hawaii points to another section of the INA that forbids discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, or place of birth when issuing an immigration visa. — Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, "As Supreme Court hears travel ban, questions of presidential authority also on docket," 25 Apr. 2018

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.