# national

Pronunciation: say "NASH-uh-nuhl" US /ˈnæʃ.(ə).n(ə)l/, UK /ˈnaʃ.(ə).n(ə)l/

## Adjective

1. Relating to a nation or country as a whole; affecting or shared throughout the entire country.
   - Simple: Having to do with a whole country, or shared by everyone in it.
   - _The national census counts every resident from coast to coast._
   - _A sudden fuel shortage triggered a national emergency overnight._
2. Belonging to or typical of one particular country, distinguishing it from other nations.
   - Simple: Belonging to or typical of one particular country, setting it apart from others, such as its food or clothing.
   - _The dancers wore national costumes representing each competing country._
   - _Bagpipes are a national symbol closely tied to Scotland._
3. Under the ownership, management or funding of a country's central government rather than of a regional, municipal or private body.
   - Simple: Owned, run or paid for by the government of a whole country, not by a local government or a business.
   - _Unlike the city-run clinics, the national hospitals are funded directly from the federal budget._
   - _The country's national airline was sold to private investors after years of losses._

## Noun

4. A person legally recognized as belonging to a particular country, usually a citizen, especially one living or working abroad.
   - Simple: A person who legally belongs to a certain country, usually as a citizen.
   - _As a Canadian national, she was allowed to vote in the election._
   - _The embassy helps nationals who lose their passports overseas._
5. A tournament in which competitors from every part of the country take part.
   - Simple: A big contest where people from all over the country compete.
   - _Her debate team qualified for nationals for the third year in a row._
   - _Athletes from every state gathered for the nationals in June._
6. A newspaper distributed and read throughout the entire country, rather than within a single local area.
   - Simple: A newspaper read all over the country, not just in one area.
   - _The journalist moved from a small local paper to a major national._
   - _Editors at the nationals competed fiercely for the exclusive interview._

## Adjective

7. Loyal to and proud of one's own nation; patriotic or nationalistic in feeling. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: Proud of and loyal to one's own country.

## Origin

From Middle French "national", formed from "nation" plus the suffix "-al".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/national (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).