citizen

[ sit-uh-zuh n, -suh n ]
/ ˈsɪt ə zən, -sən /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR citizen ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection (distinguished from alien).
an inhabitant of a city or town, especially one entitled to its privileges or franchises.
an inhabitant, or denizen: The deer is a citizen of our woods.
a civilian, as distinguished from a soldier, police officer, etc.

Origin of citizen

1275–1325; Middle English citisein < Anglo-French citesein, Old French citeain, equivalent to cite city + -ain -an; Anglo-French s perhaps by association with deinzain denizen

OTHER WORDS FROM citizen

cit·i·zen·ly, adjective non·cit·i·zen, noun un·cit·i·zen·ly, adjective un·der·cit·i·zen, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH citizen

citizen resident

Words nearby citizen

cithara, cither, citied, citified, citify, citizen, citizen journalism, citizen kane, citizen science, citizen's arrest, citizen's charter

Words related to citizens

voter, civilian, resident, national, settler, inhabitant, taxpayer, villager, dweller, commoner, aborigine, denizen, subject, householder, occupant, native, cosmopolite, burgher, burgess, townsperson

Example sentences from the Web for citizens

British Dictionary definitions for citizens

citizen
/ (ˈsɪtɪzən) /

noun

a native registered or naturalized member of a state, nation, or other political community Compare alien
an inhabitant of a city or town
a native or inhabitant of any place
a civilian, as opposed to a soldier, public official, etc

Other words from citizen

Related adjective: civil

Derived forms of citizen

citizeness (ˈsɪtɪzənɪs, -ˌnɛs), fem n citizenly, adjective

Word Origin for citizen

C14: from Anglo-French citesein, from Old French citeien, from cité, city