citizen
SIT-ih-zun
/ˈsɪtɪzən/
A legally recognized subject or national of a state or commonwealth, either native or naturalized.
Implies a set of rights and responsibilities within a political community.
The story behind the word. From Old French 'citeain', based on 'cite' (city). In the Middle Ages, a citizen was specifically an inhabitant of a city who enjoyed its unique privileges.
Word relationships
- national: A more technical legal term for someone belonging to a nation, often used in international law.
- alien: A person who is not a citizen of the country in which they are living.
- foreigner: A person from a different country.
Commonly confused with
- resident: A resident lives in a place, but a citizen has full legal and political rights.
Word family
- citizenship (noun): The status of being a citizen.
- citizenry (noun): The whole body of citizens.
Collocations
- law-abiding citizen
- senior citizen
- dual citizen
- global citizen
Idioms & expressions
- citizen of the world
Example sentences
- "I am a citizen, not of Athens or Greece, but of the world." A famous philosophical quote.
- "To become a citizen of this country, one must pass a rigorous examination on its history and laws." A legal context.
Memory hook
A citizen lives in the 'city' and has 'zen' (peace) because they have rights. City dweller with rights.
When not to use
Avoid using 'citizen' when referring to a 'resident' who does not have full legal rights of nationality.
Fun facts
- The concept of citizenship first flourished in Ancient Greece, where it was a rare and highly prized status.
Related words
Explore more words
allegiance, stateless, enfranchise, civic, Civil Rights, sovereign
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.