nationality

Everyday

1. The legal right of belonging to a particular country; being a citizen: her nationality is Irish. tree →
2. A group of people who share the same culture, language or history: many nationalities live in the city. tree →

In the lessons

On forms, passports and in citizenship lessons you write your nationality (British, American, Canadian, Australian...). In geography and everyday life, «people of many nationalities» describes a mixed city or class. Phrases: dual nationality (two countries), of all nationalities, what nationality are you?

Examples

• What nationality are you? tree →
• My nationality is Canadian. tree →
• There are children of twelve nationalities in our school. tree →
• She has dual nationality: Irish and Australian. tree →
• Write your nationality on the form. tree →
• People of many nationalities came to watch the games. tree →
• His passport shows his nationality. tree →
• Nationality may assert itself until it becomes affectation, and the developments of a century may run wild, as youth often does. tree →

Note

Countable: nationalities. Nationality words take a capital letter: British, Irish, New Zealander. Different from «ethnicity» (a cultural group) and «race». Related: nation, national.