Definition of citizen Citizen

/sɪˈtʌzʌn/ - [situzun] - cit•i•zen

We found 16 definitions of citizen from 7 different sources.

What does citizen mean?

Noun Plural: citizens
citizen - a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
		noncitizen, outlander, foreigner, alien a person who comes from a foreign country; someone who does not owe allegiance to your country
		national, subject a person who owes allegiance to that nation; "a monarch has a duty to his subjects"
		citizenry, people the body of citizens of a state or country; "the Spanish people"
		active citizen a citizen who takes an active role in the community (as in crime prevention and neighborhood watch)
		civilian a nonmilitary citizen
		freeman, freewoman a person who is not a serf or a slave
		private citizen a citizen who does not hold any official or public position
		repatriate a person who has returned to the country of origin or whose citizenship has been restored
		thane a man ranking above an ordinary freeman and below a noble in Anglo-Saxon England (especially one who gave military service in exchange for land)

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citizen (Noun)
A person that is legally recognized as a member of a state, with associated rights and obligations.
citizen (Noun)
A member of a state that is not a monarchy; used as antonym to subject.
citizen (Noun)
A person that is a legally recognized resident of a city or town.
citizen (Noun)
A resident of any particular place to which the subject feels to belong.
citizen (Noun)
A civilian, as opposed to a soldier, police officer etc.

citizen (n.)
One who enjoys the freedom and privileges of a city; a freeman of a city, as distinguished from a foreigner, or one not entitled to its franchises.
citizen (n.)
An inhabitant of a city; a townsman.
citizen (n.)
A person, native or naturalized, of either sex, who owes allegiance to a government, and is entitled to reciprocal protection from it.
citizen (n.)
One who is domiciled in a country, and who is a citizen, though neither native nor naturalized, in such a sense that he takes his legal status from such country.
citizen (a.)
Having the condition or qualities of a citizen, or of citizens; as, a citizen soldiery.
citizen (a.)
Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a city; characteristic of citizens; effeminate; luxurious.

citizen
A native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance, bears responsibilities and obtains rights, including protection, from the government.

citizen
sit′i-zen, n. an inhabitant of a city: a member of a state: a townsman: a freeman:—fem. Cit′izeness.—adj. (Shak.) like a citizen.—v.t. Cit′izenise, to make a citizen of.—ns. Cit′izenry, the general body of citizens; Cit′izenship, the rights of a citizen. [M. E. citesein—O. Fr. citeain. See City.]

A citizen is someone who is a member of a country. People can be citizens because they were born in a country. People can also be "naturalized" citizens. If someone was born in one country but became a citizen of another country, they are a naturalized citizen of that other country. For example, actor Peter Lorre was born 1904 in Hungary. In the 1940s, he moved to the United States and became a citizen of the United States. Lorre was born a Hungarian citizen and later became a naturalized United States citizen.

Someone who live in a smaller area like a city can also be called a citizen of that city.