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
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
Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
This past summer, the Mid-America Regional Council warned that Kansas and Missouri childhood vaccination rates lagged behind national averages.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2025
Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2025
Andry José Hernández Romero was among the Venezuelan nationals transferred to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025
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
Follow Werner for continued coverage of national and international discoveries.
—Laurie Werner, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
This past summer, the Mid-America Regional Council warned that Kansas and Missouri childhood vaccination rates lagged behind national averages.
—Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2025
Noun
The two games — both fairly lopsided wins by defending champ South Carolina (over Texas) and Connecticut (over UCLA) — averaged 3.9 million viewers on ESPN in the fast nationals, down 65 percent from 11 million last year.
—Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2025
Andry José Hernández Romero was among the Venezuelan nationals transferred to a maximum security prison in El Salvador.
—Fidel Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for national
Cite this Entry
“National.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/national. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.
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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