nationality

noun

ˌna-shə-ˈna-lə-tē How to pronounce nationality (audio)
Definition of nationalitynext
as in ethnicity
a people having a common language, culture, and body of traditions New York City may have more nationalities than any other metropolis in the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 nationality And for many visitors, getting there doesn’t require much advance paperwork either as travelers from over 160 countries and nationalities can enter without securing a visa beforehand. — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026 The Miami Herald reached out to Customs asking about the nationalities of 14 people on the boat. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 25 Aug. 2026 The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 prohibits discrimination on the basis of nationality in the issuance of immigrant visas, Vargas said. — Michael Copley, NPR, 22 Aug. 2026 The nationality of one crew member was not immediately known. — Omar Faruk, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nationality
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nationality
  1. ethnicity
  2. nation
Noun
  • It’s hopefully not imposed by economic dependency or an inability to love outside your ethnicity or religion or language.
    — Gloria Steinem, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Yet there are surprisingly few evaluations across different ethnicities, body compositions, and intensities of physical activity.
    — Mike McRae September 03, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of ethnicity
Noun
  • Tiani had pledged to improve security in the Sahel nation, a major uranium producer, but jihadist attacks have persisted.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Rescue teams in Nepal have located 187 tourists after deadly landslides ripped through the Himalayan nation on Wednesday, local officials said Saturday, with around 3,000 people still missing on both sides of the Nepal-China border.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of nation

Browse Nearby Words

nationalities
nationality
nationals
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nationality

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nationality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All