na·tion·al
ˈna-sh(ə-)nəl 
1
: of or relating to a nation
national boundaries
the national flag
2
3
: comprising or characteristic of a nationality
his national accent was plainly audible—
Elinor Wylie
Elinor Wylie4
: belonging to or maintained by the federal government
the National Museum of American History
5
: of, relating to, or being a coalition (see coalition sense 2) government formed by most or all major political parties usually in a crisis
nationally
adverb
1
: one that owes allegiance to or is under the protection of a nation without regard to the more formal status of citizen or subject
2
: a competition that is national in scope
—usually used in plural
Synonyms
Examples of national in a Sentence
Adjective
She won the national championship last year.
His test scores were higher than the national average.
Doing well in the Olympics is a matter of national pride.
Baseball is called America's national pastime.
The game was shown on national television.
Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
the National Museum of Art
Noun
She's a Mexican national now working in the United States.
The U.S. Nationals will be held in New York City this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
There were a couple of potential NCAA teams in there, but the competition level goes up a notch this weekend when DU travels to North Dakota, a top-10 club in both national polls.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Iran has a long history of using dual nationals as bargaining chips in its troubled relationship with the West.
—Jennifer Hansler, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for national 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
As a result, fluoride is missing from 43% of Californian faucets, far more than the national average of 25.6%.
—Lisa M. Krieger, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
There were a couple of potential NCAA teams in there, but the competition level goes up a notch this weekend when DU travels to North Dakota, a top-10 club in both national polls.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
While the identities of the victims have not been disclosed, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Wednesday that no foreign nationals were among the casualties.
—Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024
Iran has a long history of using dual nationals as bargaining chips in its troubled relationship with the West.
—Jennifer Hansler, CNN, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for national
Dictionary Entries Near national
Cite this Entry
“National.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
national
1 of 2 adjective
na·tion·al
ˈnash-nəl
-ən-ᵊl
1
: of or relating to a nation
national elections
2
: belonging to or maintained by the federal government
national cemeteries
nationally
adverb
-ē
national
2 of 2 noun1
: a person who owes allegiance to or is under the protection of a nation
2
: a competition that is national in scope
—usually used in plural
qualified for the figure skating nationals
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