citizen

noun

ˈsi-tə-zən How to pronounce citizen (audio)
Definition of citizennext
1
as in national
a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it conscientious citizens who regard voting as a duty as well as a right

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2
as in villager
a person who lives in a town on a permanent basis claimed that the good citizens of the town were sick of high property taxes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word citizen distinct from other similar nouns?

The words national and subject are common synonyms of citizen. While all three words mean "a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state," 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

Where would national be a reasonable alternative to citizen?

Although the words national and citizen have much in common, 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 could subject be used to replace citizen?

The meanings of subject and citizen largely overlap; however, subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.

the king's subjects

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of citizen Earlier this year, the US government introduced new rules requiring citizens of dozens of countries, including Cape Verde, to post a bond of up to 15,000 dollars to enter the United States. — CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Harald sought to be a monarch close to his citizens and to represent a modern, open, and inclusive Norway. — Stefania Conrieri, Vanity Fair, 28 Aug. 2026 Some at the church are citizens by birthright, some not, but all still calling for change. — Nathan Lee, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026 His support of his ex-wife has been twisted around by citizen detectives who have accused Patrick of money-grabbing. — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for citizen
Recent Examples of Synonyms for citizen
  1. national
  2. villager
  3. resident
  4. inhabitant
Noun
  • Dozens of Americans were reported missing by Nepal's tourism board as part of hundreds of foreign nationals who were in the area at the time of the flood.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Over 10,000 people have been rescued from the regions, including over 323 foreign nationals.
    — Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of national
Noun
  • His painting of The Last Supper (1986) shows a group of villagers sitting cross-legged on a rug, surrounding a round table and sharing food from a round tray.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Though the pirates and villagers celebrate the defeat of Wapol, One Piece season 2 ends with Luffy agreeing to help Princess Vivi, whose homeland of Alabasta is the target of a dangerous plot hatched by Baroque Works.
    — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of villager
Noun
  • His death ignited anger in a small town where tensions between Black residents and the police have boiled over in recent years.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The past month has brought a whirlwind of residents crowding into city council and planning and zoning meetings as a legal battle brews between the Lakes at Marshall Ridge Homeowners Association, the city of Keller and the town of Westlake.
    — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of resident
Noun
  • Elversberg, a town with 13,000 inhabitants in the southwest German state of Saarland, was hosting its first Bundesliga match and got off to a great start with goals from Lukas Petkov and Campbell, with less than nine minutes on the clock.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Just offshore, the scenery and its inhabitants skew much more colorful.
    — Sarah Bruning, Travel + Leisure, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of inhabitant

Phrases Containing citizen

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citizen
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Cite this Entry

“Citizen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/citizen. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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