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

2

: loyalty and devotion to a nation

3

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.

Synonyms

• ethnicity
• nation
• race

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

Volek said that for the first time, wealthy Americans are far and away the company’s largest client base, accounting for 20% of its business, or more than any other nationality. —Robert Frank, CNBC, 1 Nov. 2024

Yet in spite of his centrality to Mono-ha, Lee was also something of an outlier, occupying a position suspended between nationalities and artistic traditions. —Pablo Larios, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2024

Investigators were still trying to determine the nationality of the sixth person killed, the attorney general’s office said. —Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2024

Many of these are British, and English is the common language between residents of all nationalities. —Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1691, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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