citizens

noun

plural of citizen
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

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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

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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 In October 2025, the government launched AutoGov through its TAMM app—a unified digital platform that centralizes over 1,000 smart government services for citizens, residents, businesses, and visitors in Abu Dhabi. — Inzamam Rashid, Fortune, 14 Oct. 2026 The crew, which included seven Ukrainian citizens and eight Azerbaijan citizens, reported the ship’s deck and hull were hit by three aerial drones. — ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026 India's embassy in Saudi Arabia said one of its citizens died Sunday of injuries sustained in Saturday's attack, which would bring the toll to 13. — Samy Magdy, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026 Yakuza gangs also burnished their reputation by helping ordinary citizens with problems that the authorities couldn’t or didn’t wish to handle. — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 Those rescued were Indian citizens – India is one of the largest suppliers of seafarers. — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2026 Both homeowners and farmers can benefit from the work, and all citizens benefit from a stronger food system and water management program. — Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 Dangelo Rafael Jean Caraballo, 25, and Sneider Mejia Bautista, 24, both Dominican citizens, are accused of stabbing off-duty NYPD Detective Jose Mercedes. — Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 The unemployment rate for Saudi citizens hasn’t budged and the economy is creating new jobs, albeit at a slower pace. — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for citizens
  1. nationals
  2. villagers
  3. residents
  4. inhabitants
Noun
  • The figures classify overseas attendees as those who are not Singaporean nationals.
    — Jenny Lee,Matthew Tan, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Then, two Ukrainian nationals were arrested, raising questions about state involvement and presenting a test of loyalty for some of Kyiv’s European allies.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of nationals
Noun
  • Naibaho described how some villagers in Sumatra are paid up to 15 million Indonesian rupiah ($846) to poach a baby orangutan.
    — Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Authorities had moved the start of a curfew forward without ensuring that villagers working outside knew about it.
    — Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of villagers
Noun
  • Hundreds of mourners later gathered at Rehman Baba cemetery for mass funeral prayers as grief gripped the neighborhood and announcements echoed from mosque loudspeakers, urging residents to join in prayers for those killed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Under constant threats from above, residents live largely in a spider’s world, with roads, sidewalks and gas stations draped in netting to entangle drones.
    — Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of residents
Noun
  • For a long time, bunkers were designed to protect inhabitants from the fallout of nuclear weapons.
    — Megan Buerger, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026
  • More than 90 percent of Gaza’s inhabitants are internally displaced.
    — KHALED ELGINDY, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of inhabitants

Browse Nearby Words

citizenry
citizens
city
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Cite this Entry

“Citizens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/citizens. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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