national 1 of 2

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
Bednarek ran a personal best (19.68) for silver, but De Grasse set a national record (19.62). Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 June 2025 UConn’s all-time winningest player and a two-time national champion, Samson Johnson signed with the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers shortly after the NBA Draft concluded on Thursday night. Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 27 June 2025
Noun
The Justice Department on Wednesday charged 25-year-old British national Kai West for operating as IntelBroker and conspiring to hack dozens of companies and organizations. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 26 June 2025 Daren Li, a Chinese national in his early 40s, went by the alias KG Perfect. Cezary Podkul, ProPublica, 25 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for national
Recent Examples of Synonyms for national
Adjective
  • The decision was a major setback for the Adams administration, which had argued the jails’ problems could be handled in house, despite years of evidence to the contrary, as detailed in several dozen reports by the federal monitor appointed to track issues in the system.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
  • Cy 25 Training Fire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service for six months.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • Mamdani’s mother is a famous filmmaker Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian parents and became an American citizen in 2018, shortly after graduating college.
    Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 25 June 2025
  • Advertisement Some countries, including China, Denmark, and Finland, have issued travel advisories to their citizens about heading to the U.S. in response to various Trump policies.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Smollett reached a civil settlement with the city of Chicago earlier this year, according to NBC News.
    Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 23 June 2025
  • Still, even if Abrego Garcia is to be released, ICE will arrest and detain him immediately via civil immigration process, separately from the criminal case.
    Greg Wehner , Bill Mears, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • That could help make a dent in the high figure of 60% of energy that buildings use to cool their internal spaces, especially in warmer places like Singapore and the Middle East.
    Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 23 June 2025
  • He was reportedly chosen following a six-month search that included other internal and external candidates.
    Michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • Never mind the questionable math used by the campaign to raise the $10 billion in municipal tax revenues, any tax increase – even at the local level – must be approved by the state assembly.
    Time, Time, 26 June 2025
  • Area municipal mayors and city managers, along with Dr. Richard Levy of Levey Consulting, will participate.
    Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The couple went public with their relationship in 2019 and became engaged in 2023.
    Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 24 June 2025
  • The status quo, where vast tracts remain available only for low-fee grazing, utilities, or recreation, locks in modest public returns.
    James Broughel, Forbes.com, 24 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“National.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/national. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

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