nationality
noun
na·tion·al·i·ty
ˌna-shə-ˈna-lə-tē 
ˌnash-ˈna-
plural nationalities
1
: national character
the nationality of Ireland is in her songs and in her stories, and in her chronicles and in her tradition—
W. B. Yeats
W. B. Yeats3
a
: national status
specifically
: a legal relationship involving allegiance on the part of an individual and usually protection on the part of the state
nationality bestowed by birth
b
: membership in a particular nation
Vietnamese nationality
4
: political independence or existence as a separate nation
5
a
: a people having a common origin, tradition, and language and capable of forming or actually constituting a nation-state
The diverse nationalities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire desired independence.
b
: an ethnic group constituting one element of a larger unit (such as a nation)
The country is home to five nationalities.
Examples of nationality in a Sentence
The country is home to five nationalities and seven languages.
people of all races and nationalities
She's American, but her parents are of Japanese nationality.
He has held French nationality for the past 20 years.
The university has students of over 50 nationalities.
Recent Examples on the Web
Their squabbling hardly makes a stir here, in a boisterous environ of myriad ethnicities and immigrant nationalities crammed into a building whose crumbling infrastructure is much complained about but never repaired.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024
Data for the list was collected between August 2023 to March 2024 from people of more than 100 nationalities.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
As French chefs and inept bachelors of various nationalities can attest, mastering a perfect egg is the gateway to mastering a cuisine altogether.
—Iva Dixit, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
But dozens more bodies of people from a variety of nationalities are believed to remain there.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Underneath the category are six check boxes next to nationalities that respondents can fill in to provide further details: Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi or Israeli.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024
The other top nationalities so far this year: Venezuelans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans and Colombians.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
The program allows for migrants to receive work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S.; it was announced alongside an expansion of Title 42 expulsions to include those nationalities.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2024
The church, whose congregation is about 50% white, 25% Black and 25% foreign-born, changed its name to People's Church in 2012 to reflect its racial diversity, including 30-plus nationalities worshiping and working there, according to its website.
—Randy Tucker, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
Dennis Harvey, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024
Data for the list was collected between August 2023 to March 2024 from people of more than 100 nationalities.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2024
As French chefs and inept bachelors of various nationalities can attest, mastering a perfect egg is the gateway to mastering a cuisine altogether.
—Iva Dixit, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2024
But dozens more bodies of people from a variety of nationalities are believed to remain there.
—Shira Rubin, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024
Underneath the category are six check boxes next to nationalities that respondents can fill in to provide further details: Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Syrian, Iraqi or Israeli.
—Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024
The other top nationalities so far this year: Venezuelans, Guatemalans, Nicaraguans and Colombians.
—Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2024
The program allows for migrants to receive work permits and a two-year authorization to live in the U.S.; it was announced alongside an expansion of Title 42 expulsions to include those nationalities.
—Bradford Betz, Fox News, 17 Mar. 2024
The church, whose congregation is about 50% white, 25% Black and 25% foreign-born, changed its name to People's Church in 2012 to reflect its racial diversity, including 30-plus nationalities worshiping and working there, according to its website.
—Randy Tucker, The Enquirer, 14 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nationality.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to nationality
Dictionary Entries Near nationality
Cite this Entry
“Nationality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationality. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nationality
noun
na·tion·al·i·ty
ˌnash-(ə-)ˈnal-ət-ē
plural nationalities
1
: the fact or state of belonging to a nation
a person of French nationality
2
: political independence as a nation
3
: a people having a common beginning, tradition, or language
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