citizenship

Formal national membership

Citizenship is the status of belonging to a country as a recognized member with legal rights and obligations.

A citizen can vote, hold a passport, and receive protections the state doesn't extend to foreigners.

Citizenship may come through birth, ancestry, or naturalization.

The word also describes civic engagement more broadly: good citizenship, corporate citizenship.

To renounce citizenship is to formally give it up.

nationality

passport

Government-issued travel credential

countrySovereign state or territory
flagCloth symbol or signal
anthemOfficial song of praise

homeland · motherland · fatherland · birthplace · birthright · native · patriotism · compatriot · expatriate · diaspora

status

naturalization

Legal path to belonging

green cardU.S. residency document
visaTravel authorization stamp
permanent residentOne who stays indefinitely

residency · immigrant · refugee · asylum seeker · undocumented · deportation · work permit · legal status · immigration law · border control

rights

suffrage

Right to cast ballots

franchiseLicensed business operation
voteFormal choice expression
representationDepiction or likeness

equality · freedom · liberty · justice · protection · due process · assembly · speech · expression · petition

belonging

community

Collective of connected people

inclusionBeing made part
acceptanceConsent to receive
integrationCombining into a whole

membership · solidarity · unity · cohesion · allegiance · fellowship · participation · togetherness · association · commonality

duties

responsibility

State of being answerable

obligationRequired task or commitment
jury dutyRequired courtroom participation
taxesMandatory government payments

military service · conscription · draft · law-abiding · compliance · census · voting · community service · civic duty · defense

heritage

ancestry

Family line of descent

ethnicityShared cultural heritage group
lineageDescent from progenitors
descentDownward slope or lineage

genealogy · roots · culture · tradition · legacy · clan · tribe · bloodline · family · forebears

Categories

civic lifevoting, civic engagement, civic responsibility, civic education, civic leader
Roman Freedommanumission, civil rights, legal status, freedmen, freeborn
social studiescivics, social studies, maps, economics, community
Ancient RomeRome, Julius Caesar, Caesar, gladiator, gladiators
social conceptssociety, community, equality, justice, rights
community valuescommon good, solidarity, social cohesion, diversity, mutual respect

Opposites

legal status

citizenshipstatelessness

Having no recognized citizenship

foreigner · alienage · non-citizen · illegal alien · denaturalization

belonging and identity

citizenshipexile

Banishment from homeland

statelessness · alienation · foreigner · outsider · banishment

civic engagement

citizenshipdisengagement

Withdrawal from involvement

disenfranchisement · apathy · political apathy · noncompliance · non-participation

Phrases

citizenship testNaturalization knowledge requirement
dual citizenshipHolding two nationalities simultaneously
path to citizenshipLegal process for immigrants
citizenship ceremonyOfficial event conferring nationality
British citizenshipLegal UK subject status
US citizenshipLegal membership in America

Family

Familiarity: Top 50,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Abstract · Everyday, not technical · Rated G