Synonyms of national

national 1 of 2

adjective

ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl 

as in federal

of or relating to a nation

played the home team's national anthem before the start of the soccer game

Synonyms & Similar Words

• federal
• civil
• internal
• municipal
• public
• government
• democratic
• civic
• governmental
• domestic
• nationwide
• republican
• intestine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• international
• global
• foreign
• nonnational
• external
• alien

national

2 of 2

noun

as in citizen

a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it

recommended that foreign nationals living in the region evacuate immediately

Synonyms & Similar Words

• citizen
• resident
• subject
• freeman
• inhabitant
• native
• countryman
• compatriot
• nonimmigrant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• alien
• stranger
• foreigner
• immigrant
• noncitizen
• nonnative

Synonym Chooser

How is the word national distinct from other similar nouns?

The words citizen and subject are common synonyms of national. While all three words mean "a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state," national designates one who may claim the protection of a state and applies especially to one living or traveling outside that state.

American nationals working in the Middle East

When can citizen be used instead of national?

The synonyms citizen and national are sometimes interchangeable, but citizen is preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people.

the rights of a free citizen

In what contexts can subject take the place of national?

The words subject and national can be used in similar contexts, but subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.

the king's subjects

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of national

Adjective

The national lottery game has had seven billion-dollar jackpot winners since launching in 2002, according to the release. —Tanasia Kenney, Miami Herald, 5 Apr. 2025

The Homeschool Act has garnered national media attention due to the magnitude of the ... —James R. Mason, National Review, 5 Apr. 2025

Noun

Instead, the flights continued to El Salvador, where over 200 Venezuelan nationals were transferred to a supermax prison. —Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025

That order appeared to have been missed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a few weeks ago, when the Salvadoran national was put on a plane to his home country destined for its notorious CECOT prison, separating him from his U.S. citizen wife and disabled son, according to court filings. —Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025