ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nationality

n. C / U
A2 Elementary US //ˌnæʃəˈnæɫəti// UK //nˌæʃənˈælɪti// na·tion·al·i·ty Archaic

n. the legal status of belonging to a specific country. It is the official identity you have on your passport or ID card.

n. the status of belonging to a particular nation by origin or naturalisation. Refers to the legal relationship between a person and a state.


SIMPLE

Please write your name and nationality on the form.

CONTEXTUAL

The airline requires all passengers to provide their nationality and passport number before they can check in for international flights.

COMPLEX

While he had lived in London for decades and felt culturally British, his nationality remained French because he had never applied for a change in his legal status.

Origin

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

Usage

Countable when referring to different ethnic or national groups; uncountable when referring to the general legal status.

Pitfall

Which is your nationality?What is your nationality?Learners often use 'which' when asking for personal information, but 'what' is the standard question word for nationality.

© 2026 English Reference