nationality
nationality
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "nationality" is /ˌnæʃəˈnælɪti/.
na- /ˌnæʃ/
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
/æ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/ʃ/ - voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant
tion- /ə/
/ə/ - schwa (mid-central vowel)
al- /næl/
/n/ - voiced alveolar nasal
/æ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/l/ - voiced alveolar lateral approximant
i- /ɪ/
/ɪ/ - near-close near-front unrounded vowel
ty /ti/
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive
/i/ - close front unrounded vowel
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: nationality
Plural Noun: nationalities
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: The legal relationship between an individual person and a sovereign state, giving rise to reciprocal rights and duties. This status often determines one's citizenship, passport, and protection by a specific government.
Synonyms: citizenship, allegiance, political affiliation, state membership
Antonyms: statelessness, alienage, non-citizenship
Definition 2: A group of people sharing a common origin, culture, language, or historical tradition, often forming a distinct political or ethnic entity within or across state borders. This can refer to a sense of shared identity and belonging to a particular nation.
Synonyms: ethnicity, national identity, ethnic group, peoplehood, heritage
Antonyms: globalism, internationalism (in the sense of lacking a specific national identity), individualism (in the sense of lacking group identification)
Examples of Use
Books: "The book delves into the complex issue of dual nationality among immigrants, exploring how individuals reconcile allegiances to both their birth country and their adopted homeland." (From a review of The Displaced: Refugee Writers on Refugee Lives by Viet Thanh Nguyen, published in The New York Times)
Newspapers: "A new law aims to simplify the process for individuals to declare their nationality and obtain the necessary identification documents." (The Daily Nation)
Online Publications: "Debates over nationality and indigenous rights continue to shape political discourse in many South American countries." (Al Jazeera English)
Entertainment Mediums (Film): In the film Casablanca, characters frequently discuss their nationality as a means of establishing identity and political allegiance during wartime.
Entertainment Platforms (Television Series): "The protagonist's mysterious past and uncertain nationality are central to the unfolding plot of the espionage thriller." (From a review of The Diplomat on Netflix)
General Public Discourse: "When filling out the form, please indicate your nationality as it appears on your passport." (Common instruction on visa applications or official documents)
General Public Discourse: "The Olympic Games are a prime example of how different nationalities can come together in a spirit of friendly competition." (Common observation during sporting events)
10 Quotes Using Nationality
"I have no nationality. I am a human being." (Franz Kafka)
"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest embodiment of the nationality of the free mind." (Louis Pasteur)
"My nationality is the human race. My religion is love." (Baháʼu'lláh)
"Art has no nationality. Its home is the human heart." (Pablo Picasso)
"I believe in the human race. I believe in the commonality of human beings. I don't believe in nationality or race or anything like that." (Alice Walker)
"Music has no nationality. It's the language of the soul." (Yanni)
"To be an American is an ideal, while to be a Frenchman is a fact. This means that a man born in Germany, or born in Italy, or born anywhere else, can be an American simply by taking out papers. But he cannot be a Frenchman. He cannot change his nationality." (G.K. Chesterton)
"Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all kinds of discrimination. Sport is the great unifier. What nationality is a person who has achieved greatness in sport? It doesn't matter, does it?" (Nelson Mandela)
"Literature, after all, is not a nationality. It is a climate of the mind." (D. H. Lawrence)
"The poet has no nationality. He is a citizen of the world." (Aleksandr Pushkin)
Etymology
The word "nationality" has an interesting journey through language! It essentially comes from the idea of "being born" or "a group of people born together."
Let's break it down:
"Nation": This is the core of the word. It comes from the Latin word "natio," which literally means "birth" or "that which has been born." From this, it evolved to mean a "race of people" or "tribe," and later, a group of people sharing a common ancestry, language, or culture.
"-ality": This is a common ending in English that we add to adjectives to turn them into nouns. It basically means "the state or quality of being." For example, "real" becomes "reality" (the state of being real).
So, when you put them together, "nationality" literally means the "state or quality of being a nation" or "belonging to a nation."
The first known use of "nationality" in English was in the late 1600s, specifically around 1690s or 1691. At that time, its main meaning was "separate existence as a nation, national unity and integrity." It was about a country having its own distinct identity and independence. Later, in the 1800s, the meaning broadened to include the "fact of belonging to or being a citizen of a particular state" and also started to refer to "a racial or ethnic group."
Phrases + Idioms Containing Nationality
Dual nationality: (A person holding citizenship in two countries simultaneously.)
Declare your nationality: (To formally state which country you belong to, often on official forms.)
Country of nationality: (The nation to which a person belongs as a citizen.)
No fixed nationality: (Referring to someone who does not have a clear or recognized national affiliation.)
Sense of nationality: (A feeling of belonging and loyalty to one's nation.)
Question of nationality: (A matter concerning a person's citizenship or national identity, often debated or uncertain.)
Shared nationality: (When two or more people belong to the same nation.)
Pride in one's nationality: (Feeling a strong positive emotion about one's national identity.)
Beyond nationality: (Transcending national borders or identities, often in a global or universal context.)
Regardless of nationality: (Indicating that something applies to everyone, irrespective of their country of origin.)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of nationality from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.