nationality

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English

Etymology

From national +‎ -ity, perhaps after French nationalité; ultimately from Latin nātio (nation, people).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌnæ.ʃəˈnæ.lɪ.ti/, /ˌnæʃ.ˈnæ.lɪ.ti/, /-ˈnæ.lə.ti/, /-ˈnæl.ti/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: na‧tion‧al‧i‧ty, na‧tion‧al‧ity

Noun

nationality (plural nationalities)

  1. (now rare) National, i.e. ethnic and/or cultural, character or identity. [from 17th c.]
  2. (now rare) Nationalism or patriotism. [from 18th c.]
    • 1791, James Boswell, Life of Johnson, Oxford 2008, p. 599:
      ‘You are, to be sure, wonderfully free from that nationality: but so it happens, that you employ the only Scotch shoe-black in London.’
  3. National origin or identity; legal membership of a particular nation or state, by origin, birth, naturalization, ownership, allegiance or otherwise. [from 18th c.]
    By living in the country for five years, you are entitled to get nationality.
    Stefi was born in Spain to a Brazilian father and a Chilean mother, so is eligible for three nationalities.
    Please include your nationality on the form.
  4. A people sharing a common origin, culture and/or language, and possibly constituting a nation-state. [from 19th c.]
  5. (obsolete) Political existence, independence or unity as a national entity. [19th c.]

Synonyms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

See also