nationality

nationality — noun

1. how the law sees which country a person belongs to as a citizen; the official st

1.名詞B1
釋義

how the law sees which country a person belongs to as a citizen; the official status that gives you the right to a passport from that country and to live there permanently.

例句

Christopher applied for French nationality after living in Lyon for eight years.

collocation: apply for nationality

Dual nationality lets you hold passports from two countries at the same time.

collocation: dual nationality

同義詞
  • citizenship

    more specific to legal rights and duties of a citizen; 'nationality' is often broader and used in official forms

  • legal residence

    refers to permission to live in a country but may not include full citizenship rights such as voting

文法句型

of + nationality

adjective + nationality

have/acquire + nationality

用法筆記

Distinguish from 'ethnicity': nationality is a legal or official status tied to a country, whereas ethnicity describes a person's cultural, racial, or ancestral background and may cross national borders.

常見錯誤

❌I changed my nationality to Canada.
✅I changed my nationality to Canadian.
💡Use the adjective form (Canadian, Japanese, Brazilian) after 'nationality is' or after 'change to'.
❌My nationality is from Taiwan.
✅My nationality is Taiwanese.
💡Nationality is a label, not a place of origin.

2. any of the distinct peoples who share a language, history, or culture, especiall

2.名詞B2
釋義

any of the distinct peoples who share a language, history, or culture, especially when they make up part of a larger country or have their own political ambitions.

例句

The Uyghurs are a nationality with their own language and cultural traditions.

typical subject: specific ethnic groups

Each nationality in the empire was allowed to teach its own history in schools.

同義詞
  • ethnic group

    more common in modern English; 'nationality' in this sense carries a stronger historical or political claim to self-rule

  • people

    broader and less formal; 'the Basque people' vs. 'the Basque nationality'

文法句型

a/an + nationality

adjective + nationality

用法筆記

This sense is close to 'ethnic group' and is most often used when discussing multi-ethnic states, historical empires, or regions where several cultural groups coexist within one country.

常見錯誤

❌The Kurds are a nationality without a country' (technically correct but confusing for learners).
✅The Kurds are an ethnic group
💡or a nationality in the sense of a people sharing a culture and history.' — Clarify that this sense refers to cultural community, not legal citizenship.