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

The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people, including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States. —Kelly McGreal , Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 23 Nov. 2025

The cost of living in Memphis is 10 percent below the national average, and Zillow estimates the average home value is under $150,000. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025

Noun

Duffy’s remarks referred to an Uzbek national with alleged terrorist ties that was arrested earlier this week. —Surina Venkat, The Hill, 22 Nov. 2025

The two Chinese nationals are Cham Li, 38, residing in California, and Jing Chen, 45, who is on an F-1 nonimmigrant student visa and resides in Tampa, Florida, the department said. —CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025

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