citizen

noun

cit·​i·​zen ˈsi-tə-zən How to pronounce citizen (audio)
 also  -sən
Synonyms of citizennext
1
a
: a native or naturalized person who owes allegiance to a government and is entitled to protection from it
She was an American citizen but lived most of her life abroad.
b
: a member of a state
2
: an inhabitant of a city or town
especially : one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman
3
: a civilian as distinguished from a specialized servant of the state
Soldiers were sent to protect the citizens.
citizenly
ˈsi-tə-zən-lē How to pronounce citizen (audio)
 also  -sən-
adjective

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for citizen

citizen, subject, national 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

subject implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.

the king's subjects

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

Examples of citizen in a Sentence

She was a United States citizen but lived most of her life abroad. a group of Japanese citizens
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Israel has warned its citizens against attending sporting events abroad. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 Midway through the first episode of Say Nothing, Dolours Price encounters a fiery scene in West Belfast: a mob of Northern Irish citizens chucking petrol bombs at a police barracks. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024 California’s choice to resist potential policies that are threatening to its citizens is very necessary. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024 But in the end, constitutions are only as strong as the willingness of people—politicians, judges, civil servants, business leaders, and ordinary citizens—to defend them. —Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for citizen 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English citizein, from Anglo-French citezein, alteration of citeien, from cité city

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of citizen was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing citizen

Dictionary Entries Near citizen

Citigradae

citizen

citizen's arrest

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Citizen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/citizen. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

citizen

noun
cit·​i·​zen ˈsit-ə-zən How to pronounce citizen (audio)
1
: a person who lives in a city or town
2
a
: a member of a state
b
: a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it
Etymology

Middle English citizein, "citizen, resident of a town," derived from early French citeien (same meaning), from cité "town," derived from Latin civitas "state of being a resident of a town, citizenship," from civis "citizen" — related to city, civil

Legal Definition

citizen

noun
cit·​i·​zen
1
: a native or naturalized individual who owes allegiance to a government (as of a state or nation) and is entitled to the enjoyment of governmental protection and to the exercise of civil rights see also Scott v. Sandford compare resident

Note: Under the Fourteenth Amendment, “all persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” A person born outside of the U.S. to parents who were born or naturalized in the U.S. is also a citizen of the U.S. A corporation is not considered a citizen for purposes of the privileges and immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. A corporation is, however, deemed a citizen of the state in which it is incorporated or has its principal place of business for purposes of diversity jurisdiction.

2
: a resident of a town or state who is also a U.S. native or was naturalized in the U.S.
Etymology

Anglo-French citezein, alteration of Old French citeien, from cité city

More from Merriam-Webster on citizen

Nglish: Translation of citizen for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of citizen for Arabic Speakers

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 All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

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 Word Game 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?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...