Nationality

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ËŒnæ.ʃəˈnæl.ɪ.ti/
• Hyphenation: na + tion + al + i + ty, Hyphenation: na + tion + al + ity

Origin

From national + -ity, recorded since 1691, perhaps modelled on French nationalité; ultimately from Latin nātio ("nation, people").

Full definition of nationality

Noun

1. Membership of a particular nation or state, by origin, birth, naturalization, ownership, allegiance or otherwise.
2. National, i.e. ethnic and/or cultural, character or identity.
3. A people sharing a common origin, culture and/or language, and possibly constituting a nation-state.
4. Political existence, independence or unity as a national entity.
5. (archaic) Nationalism or patriotism.

Synonyms

• (membership of a nation or state) affiliation, allegiance, ancestry, citizenship, descent, enfranchisement, ethnicity, national status, naturalization, origin, parentage, race, residence, status
• (national character or identity) ancestry, color, colour, ethnicity, identity, origin
• (a people) clan, confederation, cultural group, culture, denomination, ethnic group, ethnicity, faith, group, nation, people, persuasion, race, sect, tribe
• (political existence as a national entity) autarchy, autonomy, freedom, independence, liberty, nationhood, self-determination, self-government, self-rule, separation, sovereignty
• (nationalism) nationalism, patriotic sentiment, patriotism,

Related terms

• nation, national, nationalise, nationalism, nationalist, nationalistic, nationalize
• nationhood
• nation-state
• nationwide