1
as in national
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

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2

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How is the word citizen distinct from other similar nouns?

The words national and subject are common synonyms of citizen. While all three words 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

Where would national be a reasonable alternative to citizen?

Although the words national and citizen have much in common, 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

When could subject be used to replace citizen?

The meanings of subject and citizen largely overlap; however, subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.

the king's subjects

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 citizen Diddy won’t be able to enjoy the freedoms of a normal United States citizen once his prison sentence is complete. Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 15 Oct. 2025 Ability to manage growth in a manner that reflects the reasons people find Matthews attractive, create a budget that is thorough and efficient, ability to work with citizens and town leaders to maintain Matthews’ sense of self. Mary Ramsey, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2025 Ray Norris, an astrophysicist at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation who led the discovery of odd radio circles, was pleased to see a discovery of the phenomenon using the LOFAR telescope — and with citizen science. Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025 Several artists explore the potential of immersive media in innovative and far-reaching ways, from frontline citizen journalism to provocative explorations of gender identity. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for citizen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for citizen
Noun
  • Most of these drones appear to be civilian hobby drones, but some are suspicious and could involve foreign nationals or espionage (like a Chinese national caught at Vandenberg Space Force Base).
    Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The raid resulted in the detention of more than 300 Korean nationals, who were eventually returned to their native country.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Through Balaena tour guide Mel Sanchez’s translation of the villagers’ presentations, visitors learn about Emberá people’s role in training NASA astronauts.
    Kit Bernardi, USA Today, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The hikers had been trapped at nearly 16,000 feet, according to a report in Jimu News, which added that local villagers and rescue teams had been deployed to clear the roads blocked by snow.
    Larissa Gao, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • With nearly one-third of Los Angeles County's 10 million residents being foreign-born, the declaration has significant social and economic implications, especially for immigrant and mixed-status families.
    Deputy News Editor, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Gas from Tehran fuels nearly a third of Iraq's electricity generation, yet frequent and prolonged outages remain common, forcing residents to rely on costly, polluting private generators.
    Emma Graham, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The team aimed to study the past inhabitants’ diet and compare it with the diet of modern birds today.
    Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Soon after, Kravitz began hosting an annual dental-care clinic, completely free of charge for the island’s inhabitants.
    Jazmine Hughes, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Citizen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/citizen. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

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