1
as in nationals
a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it
conscientious citizens who regard voting as a duty as well as a right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in villagers
a person who lives in a town on a permanent basis
claimed that the good citizens of the town were sick of high property taxes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of citizens
Since the ballot seizure, local election officials in Riverside County have debunked the allegations of irregularities by saying that the citizens' group's numbers were based on raw data that could have included unsigned ballots.
—
Laurie Perez, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Congress’s February efforts to resolve the shutdown were complicated by the lawless ICE campaign in Minneapolis, where federal agents killed two American citizens during a brutal crackdown on protests.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
The price hike has also burdened ordinary citizens.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Undocumented immigrants will remain ineligible for free food, maintaining a long-term status quo (eligibility is limited to citizens and legal permanent residents) on that front.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Blackouts and economic collapse have sparked widespread desperation in Cuba, with citizens openly protesting the government despite decades of political repression.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Airplanes, rockets, and the 20th century’s all-encompassing ideologies swept citizens into total wars.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
On the other side of the aisle, grassroots activists and a handful of progressives have raised concerns about data centers consuming a significant amount of energy and water to the detriment of neighboring citizens.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
The memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the US citizens shot in January by ICE agents, has turned this state into the beating heart of the third No Kings protest, following those in June and October of last year.
—Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Mar. 2026
Laurie Perez, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
Congress’s February efforts to resolve the shutdown were complicated by the lawless ICE campaign in Minneapolis, where federal agents killed two American citizens during a brutal crackdown on protests.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2026
The price hike has also burdened ordinary citizens.
—ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026
Undocumented immigrants will remain ineligible for free food, maintaining a long-term status quo (eligibility is limited to citizens and legal permanent residents) on that front.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 29 Mar. 2026
Blackouts and economic collapse have sparked widespread desperation in Cuba, with citizens openly protesting the government despite decades of political repression.
—Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2026
Airplanes, rockets, and the 20th century’s all-encompassing ideologies swept citizens into total wars.
—Gil Troy, New York Daily News, 29 Mar. 2026
On the other side of the aisle, grassroots activists and a handful of progressives have raised concerns about data centers consuming a significant amount of energy and water to the detriment of neighboring citizens.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 29 Mar. 2026
The memory of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the US citizens shot in January by ICE agents, has turned this state into the beating heart of the third No Kings protest, following those in June and October of last year.
—Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for citizens
Noun
-
After Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government’s emergency decree issued in spring last year, only foreign nationals with Italian parents or grandparents are now allowed to seek citizenship.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
-
His death brings the total at the Adelanto facility to four deaths, all involving Mexican nationals.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The villagers become sympathetic to the revolutionaries, who hide in the hills, and increasingly radicalized.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The villagers start blaming the recluse ‘witch’ of the village who is known to practice black magic.—
William Earl,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Officials stress that no action is needed and that residents should not call 911.—
Doug Myers,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The loss of the historical building drew criticism from the public and former residents, including former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the geopolitical and financial constraints, the sea-level canal studies employed hundreds of researchers who increased knowledge of the isthmus and its human and nonhuman inhabitants.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Despite the geopolitical and financial constraints, the sea-level canal studies employed hundreds of researchers who increased knowledge of the isthmus and its human and nonhuman inhabitants.—
Christine Keiner,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Citizens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/citizens. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
