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. Yeats2
: 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.
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
While every nationality is banned from coming to the U.S. as refugees under Mr. Trump's edict, the administration is still allowing Afghans with these special visas to enter the country.
—Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2025
Whether or not the child is born in the country doesn’t matter—citizenship still follows their parents’ nationality.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
Politicians in France demanded an inquiry, arguing that if this soldier was of French nationality and a potential perpetrator of torture, or had aided and abetted it, he should be tried in French courts for possible war crimes.
—Annie Hylton, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
Around the same historical period, Israel instituted a divided education system based on nationality and religious observance, with four distinct school streams: Jewish secular, orthodox and ultra-orthodox schools taught primarily in Hebrew, and Arab schools taught in Arabic.
—Ayala Hendin, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nationality 
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Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 25 Jan. 2025
Whether or not the child is born in the country doesn’t matter—citizenship still follows their parents’ nationality.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
Politicians in France demanded an inquiry, arguing that if this soldier was of French nationality and a potential perpetrator of torture, or had aided and abetted it, he should be tried in French courts for possible war crimes.
—Annie Hylton, The New Yorker, 11 Jan. 2025
Around the same historical period, Israel instituted a divided education system based on nationality and religious observance, with four distinct school streams: Jewish secular, orthodox and ultra-orthodox schools taught primarily in Hebrew, and Arab schools taught in Arabic.
—Ayala Hendin, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for nationality
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 2 Feb. 2025.
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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