Definition

Noun: 1. A legally recognized subject or national of a state or country: A person who holds citizenship of a particular nation, typically by birth or naturalization, and enjoys certain rights and responsibilities under its laws. 2. An inhabitant of a particular town or city: A resident of a specific urban area.

Usage

• The term is used to denote a person's legal and political status within a nation-state.
• It implies a formal relationship with a governing body, involving both rights (e.g., voting) and obligations (e.g., obeying laws).
• It can also refer more generally to a resident of a city.

Examples

1. As a national of a country:
   • She became a citizen of Canada after completing the naturalization process.
   • Every citizen has the right to a fair trial.
2. As an inhabitant of a city:
   • The citizens of London celebrated the festival.
   • A proud citizen of New York.

Advanced Usage

• "Citizen of the world": An idiom describing a person who feels at home in any country or who prioritizes global concerns over national ones.
  • His extensive travels made him feel like a citizen of the world.
• "Private citizen": An individual who is not acting in an official governmental or public capacity.
  • After leaving office, the former president returned to life as a private citizen.
• "Citizen science": Scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or non-professional scientists (the citizens).
  • The bird count is a popular citizen science project.

Variants and Related Words

• Citizenry (noun, collective): The body of citizens as a whole.
  • The new law affected the entire citizenry.
• Citizenship (noun): The state of being a citizen; the rights and duties of a citizen.
  • She applied for French citizenship.
• Citizen's arrest (noun): An arrest made by a private person, as opposed to a law enforcement officer.
  • The store owner made a citizen's arrest on the shoplifter.

Synonyms

• National: A citizen of a particular country.
• Subject: A person under the rule of a monarch (used in contexts of kingdoms).
• Resident: An inhabitant of a place (more general, lacks the specific legal connotation of "citizen").

Antonyms

• Alien: A foreigner, especially one who is not a citizen of the country where they are living.
• Non-citizen: A person who does not have citizenship status in a given country.

Related Phrases

• "Second-class citizen": A person who is systematically discriminated against within a state or society, despite being a legal citizen.
  • The policy treated the minority group as second-class citizens.
• "Model citizen": A person who behaves in an exemplary way, obeying laws and contributing positively to society.
  • He was regarded as a model citizen for his volunteer work.

Noun

1. a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community