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
One of the hallmarks of La Revue du monde noir was its focus on global liberation for all people, regardless of race, nationality, gender, or class.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Health care workers must never be pressured to identify patients based on nationality or immigration status.
—Kimberly Galindo, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Many immigrants eventually settled in the city, whose 664,000 inhabitants represent more than 170 nationalities.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Laws eventually backed the violence Chinese immigrants faced with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 − the first federal law to regulate immigration for a specific nationality.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationality
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Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
Health care workers must never be pressured to identify patients based on nationality or immigration status.
—Kimberly Galindo, Mercury News, 22 Oct. 2025
Many immigrants eventually settled in the city, whose 664,000 inhabitants represent more than 170 nationalities.
—Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 20 Oct. 2025
Laws eventually backed the violence Chinese immigrants faced with the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 − the first federal law to regulate immigration for a specific nationality.
—Everett Eaton, jsonline.com, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationality
Cite this Entry
“Nationality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationality. Accessed 29 Oct. 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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