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Webster 1913 Edition

Citizen

Cit′i-zen

,
Noun.
[OE.
citisein
, OF.
citeain
, F.
citoyen
, fr.
cité
city. See
City
, and cf.
Cit
.]
1.
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.
That large body of the working men who were not counted as
citizens
and had not so much as a vote to serve as an anodyne to their stomachs.
G. Eliot.
2.
An inhabitant of a city; a townsman.
Shak.
3.
A person, native or naturalized, of either sex, who owes allegiance to a government, and is entitled to reciprocal protection from it.
☞ This protection is . . . national protection, recognition of the individual, in the face of foreign nations, as a member of the state, and assertion of his security and rights abroad as well as at home.
Abbot
4.
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.

Cit′i-zen

,
Adj.
1.
Having the condition or qualities of a citizen, or of citizens;
as, a
citizen
soldiery
.
2.
Of or pertaining to the inhabitants of a city; characteristic of citizens; effeminate; luxurious.
[Obs.]
I am not well,
But not so
citizen
a wanton as
To seem to die ere sick.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Citizen

CITIZEN

, n.
1.
The native of a city, or an inhabitant who enjoys the freedom and privileges of the city in which he resides; the freeman of a city, as distinguished from a foreigner, or one not entitled to its franchises.
2.
A townsman; a man of trade; not a gentleman.
3.
An inhabitant; a dweller in any city, town or place.
4.
In general sense, a native or permanent resident in a city or country; as the citizens of London or Philadelphia; the citizens of the United States.
5.
In the United States, a person, native or naturalized, who has the privilege of exercising the elective franchise, or the qualifications which enable him to vote for rulers, and to purchase and hold real estate.
If the citizens of the United States should not be free and happy, the fault will be entirely their own.

CITIZEN

,
Adj.
Having the qualities of a citizen.

Definition 2024

Citizen

Citizen

See also: citizen

English

Noun

Citizen ‎(plural Citizens)

  1. A pupil of City of London School

citizen

citizen

See also: Citizen

English

Noun

citizen ‎(plural citizens)

  1. (obsolete) A resident of a city or town, particularly:
    1. (historical) A freeman or burgher: a legally-recognized member of an incorporated city.
      • George Eliot
        That large body of the working men who were not counted as citizens and had not so much as a vote to serve as an anodyne to their stomachs.
    2. (obsolete) A member of the early modern urban middle class, distinguished from nobles and landed gentry on one side and from peasants, craftsmen, and laborers on the other.
    3. (Christianity) A resident or future resident of the heavenly city or (later) of the kingdom of God: a Christian; a good Christian.
  2. A legally-recognized member of a state, with associated rights and obligations; a person considered in terms of this role, particularly:
    • 1990, House of Cards, Season 1, Episode 4:
      Assistant: You'll meet with the managing director and Dr Sinita Brahmachari, the engineer who designed the chair.
      Peter Mackenzie: Indian, is he?
      Assistant: She is a British citizen, Minister. Born in Coventry.
    • 2012 January 1, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, page 74:
      Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.
    I am a Roman citizen.
    1. (dated) A member of a state that is not a monarchy.
      Formerly, the citizens of republics were distinguished the subjects living in kingdoms.
    2. (historical, usually capitalized) A term of address among French citizens during the French Revolution or towards its supporters elsewhere; (later, dated) a term of address among socialists and communists.
  3. An inhabitant: a member of any place.
    Diogenes reckoned himself a citizen of the world.
    • 1979 October, Boys' Life, p. 33:
      A jellyfish... carries poison cells that can sting other citizens of the sea.
  4. A private citizen: a civilian, as opposed to a police officer, professional soldier, or other (usually state) group.
  5. (computing) An object.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Hyponyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Anagrams

References

  • Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "citizen, n. and adj." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2014.

Etymology

From Middle English citizen, from Anglo-Norman citesain ‎(“burgher; city-dweller”) &c., probably a variant of cithein under influence of deinzein ‎(“denizen”), from Anglo-Norman and Old French citeain &c. and citaien &c. ("burgher"; modern French citoyen), from cite ("settlement; cathedral city, city"; modern French cité) + -ain or -ien ‎(“-an, -ian”). See city and hewe.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈsɪt.ɪ.zən/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈsɪd.ɪ.zən/, /ˈsɪd.ɪ.sən/, /ˈsɪt.ɪ.zən/, /ˈsɪt.ɪ.sən/

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