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
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Recent Examples of citizens
In 2023, net migration was just under 950,000, an all-time high, as immigration by non-EU citizens spiked before dropping sharply with the introduction of new policies.
—
Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
Embassies are working on behalf of their citizens to get the Cambodian government to waive the overstay fines, but the process is slow.
—Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 21 June 2026
And the rest is up to us, the citizens.
—Kam Shenai, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Government officials pointed out that the project’s backers, who became Antiguan citizens through the Citizenship by Investment Program, are examples of investors who support long-term development rather than seeing citizenship as just a transaction.
—Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Uruguay, a traditional South American competitor that entered the World Cup ranked in the international top 20, would be the heavy favorite over Cape Verde, an African island nation with fewer than half a million citizens that was also making its first-ever appearance in the World Cup.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
Eighty years ago, in September 1939, Operation Pied Piper—a World War II effort to evacuate Britain’s most vulnerable citizens from areas deemed most vulnerable to German attack—was put into effect.
—Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 20 June 2026
Some non-citizens with work permits are being locked out of jobs that require minimal background checks, ostensibly on the grounds of public safety.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 20 June 2026
In the name of fairness and competition, Europe has written laws that leave its citizens as the only people in the free world without access to the most advanced technology.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 22 June 2026
Embassies are working on behalf of their citizens to get the Cambodian government to waive the overstay fines, but the process is slow.
—Shibani Mahtani, NPR, 21 June 2026
And the rest is up to us, the citizens.
—Kam Shenai, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Government officials pointed out that the project’s backers, who became Antiguan citizens through the Citizenship by Investment Program, are examples of investors who support long-term development rather than seeing citizenship as just a transaction.
—Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 21 June 2026
Uruguay, a traditional South American competitor that entered the World Cup ranked in the international top 20, would be the heavy favorite over Cape Verde, an African island nation with fewer than half a million citizens that was also making its first-ever appearance in the World Cup.
—Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2026
Eighty years ago, in September 1939, Operation Pied Piper—a World War II effort to evacuate Britain’s most vulnerable citizens from areas deemed most vulnerable to German attack—was put into effect.
—Christopher Benfey, The New York Review of Books, 20 June 2026
Some non-citizens with work permits are being locked out of jobs that require minimal background checks, ostensibly on the grounds of public safety.
—E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 20 June 2026
In the name of fairness and competition, Europe has written laws that leave its citizens as the only people in the free world without access to the most advanced technology.
—Editorial Board, Washington Post, 14 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for citizens
Noun
-
Almost half of all US nationals’ applications are directed there, and Portugal and Italy are their top two options.—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
Gregg Berhalter then took it to another level, recruiting more than a dozen dual nationals — including Dest, Tillman, Balogun and Turner — in his five years as coach.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
The villagers often had to move in the dark to avoid being detected.—
Pavlo Fedykovych,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
-
Some villagers sat in the shade of towering fig trees, while others planted yams or dug the soil with tree branches.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Fees will be waived until Sunday, June 21 to encourage residents to adopt adult dogs ages six months and older and to make room for incoming strays.—
Emma Hall,
Sacbee.com,
18 June 2026
-
However, a growing number of residents have been regularly showing up to city council meetings advocating for a moratorium on data center development, pointing to issues with noise pollution, water use, and electricity costs.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Cape Verde’s flight paths For its World Cup debut, the smallest nation by population at the tournament is paying homage to the roughly 525,000 inhabitants who live on 10 volcanic islands off the coast of Africa.—
Steve Douglas,
Chicago Tribune,
19 June 2026
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Here, Sue Brown, left, of Athens, and Ann Massenburg, of Macon, law students, cuddle four of the tree-trunk inhabitants, which seem none too impressed.—
AJ Willingham,
AJC.com,
18 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Citizens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/citizens. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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