ENGLISH
REFERENCE

national

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈnæʃənəɫ// UK //nˈæʃənəl// na·tion·al Archaic General-service

n. a person who is a citizen of a specific country. You use this word when talking about someone's legal belonging to a nation, especially when they are living or traveling abroad.

n. a citizen or subject of a specific nation. Often used in legal or diplomatic contexts to distinguish individuals based on their state allegiance rather than their current residence.


SIMPLE

The embassy helps its nationals when they travel abroad.

CONTEXTUAL

The government arranged a special flight to evacuate all of its nationals from the conflict zone.

COMPLEX

International law provides certain protections for foreign nationals, ensuring they have access to consular services if they are detained while visiting another country.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Frequently used in the plural form ('nationals') or as part of a compound noun like 'foreign national'.

Pitfall

He is a France national.He is a French national.When using this noun, the preceding word should be the adjective form of the country, not the country's name.

© 2026 English Reference