national 1 of 2

adjective

ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce national (audio)
Definition of nationalnext
as in federal
of or relating to a nation played the home team's national anthem before the start of the soccer game

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

national

2 of 2

noun

as in citizen
a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it recommended that foreign nationals living in the region evacuate immediately

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word national distinct from other similar nouns?

The words citizen and subject are common synonyms of national. While all three words mean "a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state," 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 can citizen be used instead of national?

The synonyms citizen and national are sometimes interchangeable, but 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

In what contexts can subject take the place of national?

The words subject and national can be used in similar contexts, but 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 national
Adjective
In response to the ruling, Qommittee, a national group formed in 2024 to support drag performers facing censorship and threats, updated its guide for Florida. — Ana Goni Lessan, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026 Beck, who led Miami to the national title game in January, will start for the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL preseason Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026
Noun
On June 12, the government directed Anthropic to block foreign nationals from accessing its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 Pricing, for now, is under wraps – although pre-orders are open for Chinese nationals on its website. — New Atlas, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for national
Recent Examples of Synonyms for national
  1. federal
  2. citizen
  3. civil
  4. internal
  5. municipal
  6. public
  7. government
Adjective
  • His co-conspirator, San Francisco resident Micah-Luc Almeida, 47, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after being charged with possession with intent to distribute MDA.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Within weeks, Maryland filed a complaint with federal energy regulators arguing its residents were being charged roughly $2 billion in grid upgrade costs tied to data centers across the border in Virginia.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of federal
Noun
  • Joe Conti, an independent researcher and physics enthusiast based in Massachusetts, is inviting eclipse observers across Iceland and Spain to capture the optical mystery on their smartphones as part of a citizen science project.
    — Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Legal experts say four pending federal cases — one of them filed last week — are moving forward at a time when the conservative majority on the Supreme Court gives opponents of citizen suits a greater chance than ever of success.
    — Michael Phillis, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of citizen
Adjective
  • Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights pleaded guilty in late April to one count of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement officers during civil disorder, the Department of Justice said in a news release.
    — Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Unlike traditional diplomacy, conducted by states and official representatives, civil humanitarian diplomacy can create complementary spaces for dialogue and cooperation through civil society and other non-state actors.
    — Ricardo Bellino, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of civil
Adjective
  • The destruction would be limited to Taiwanese assets, helping Beijing maintain its argument that the operation was strictly an internal matter and ensuring that international powers couldn’t claim a greater need to intervene.
    — Eugene Gholz, Foreign Affairs, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Routine, high-volume tasks such as summarization, classification and internal productivity workflows can often be routed to more cost-efficient models that deliver acceptable quality at scale.
    — Japjeev Kohli, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of internal
Adjective
  • Last week, hackers hit municipal water systems in at least seven states.
    — Jason Snyder, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Well, there’s municipal signage very prominently in the movie that says you cannot get divorced unless you were married for one year, plus one day.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of municipal
Adjective
  • The concierge will arrange special tours and experiences; the hotel's generous public spaces are ideal for weddings and events.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • This is not the first time that Grande has had to deal with public scrutiny of her body.
    — Jack Guy, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of public
Adjective
  • The last major pro-democracy movement was squelched in 2018, when police and pro-government paramilitary groups killed 362 protesters in what the United Nations said amounted to crimes against humanity.
    — Ismael López, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
  • Now protesters are using that same platform to mock his administration, ridicule pro-government television news coverage, transform confrontation with police into viral content and seize control of the online narrative.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 July 2026
Definition of government

Browse Nearby Words

nation
national
national guard
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Cite this Entry

“National.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/national. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of national for Spanish Speakers

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