Definition

1. Adjective:

   • Relating to a nation or country: "National" describes something that belongs to, is characteristic of, or involves an entire nation or country.
   • Owned or controlled by a central government: "National" can refer to institutions, services, or property maintained by the government for the public.
   • Pertaining to nationality: "National" relates to the legal status or origin of belonging to a particular nation.

2. Noun:

   • A citizen or subject of a nation: A "national" is a person who owes allegiance to and is entitled to the protection of a specific country.

Usage and Examples

• Adjective:

  • The national anthem is played before the game. (This describes the official song of the country.)
  • We visited several national parks during our trip. (This refers to parks owned and maintained by the government for the public.)
  • The issue is of national importance. (This indicates the matter concerns the entire nation.)
  • They discussed national security. (This relates to the safety and defense of the country as a whole.)

• Noun:

  • She is a British national living abroad. (This identifies her as a citizen of the United Kingdom.)
  • The embassy assists its nationals in times of crisis. (This refers to the citizens of the country the embassy represents.)

Advanced Usage

• "National interest": The strategic, economic, or political goals of a nation as a whole.

  • The policy was defended as being in the national interest.

• "National average": A statistical mean calculated from data across an entire country.

  • The test scores were above the national average.

• "National debt": The total amount of money that a country's government has borrowed.

  • The country's national debt continues to rise.

Variants and Related Words

• Nationally (adverb): Across or by the whole nation.

  • The news was broadcast nationally.

• Nationality (noun): The status of belonging to a particular nation.

  • What is your nationality?

• Nationalize (verb): To bring an industry or asset under state control or ownership.

  • The government decided to nationalize the railways.

• Nationalism (noun): Identification with one's own nation and support for its interests.

  • The movement was fueled by a strong sense of nationalism.

Synonyms

• Adjective: Countrywide, nationwide, federal, public, state.
• Noun: Citizen, subject.

Antonyms

• Adjective: Local, regional, international, foreign, private.

Related Phrases and Collocations

• National holiday: A public holiday celebrated across a nation.
• National identity: A sense of a nation as a cohesive whole.
• National grid: A network for distributing electricity across a country.
• National service: A system of compulsory government service (e.g., military).

Adjective

1. of or relating to nationality
   • national origin
2. characteristic of or peculiar to the people of a nation
   • a national trait
3. inside the country
   • the British Home Office has broader responsibilities than the United States Department of the Interior
   • the nation's internal politics
4. owned or maintained for the public by the national government
   • national parks
5. concerned with or applicable to or belonging to an entire nation or country
   • the national government
   • national elections
   • of national concern
   • the national highway system
   • national forests
6. limited to or in the interests of a particular nation
   • national interests
   • isolationism is a strictly national policy
7. of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
   • national hero
   • national anthem
   • a national landmark

Noun

1. a person who owes allegiance to that nation
   • a monarch has a duty to his subjects