national

national — adjective

1. describes something associated with everyone in one country, from its culture to

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes something associated with everyone in one country, from its culture to its land, instead of being limited to a single region

Example

Diya wore a traditional dress that is considered a national symbol of her homeland.

national + noun (symbol)

The national newspaper printed the story on its front page this morning.

Common collocations
  • national anthem
  • national border
  • national park
  • national team
  • national holiday
  • national newspaper
  • national identity
Synonyms
  • countrywide

    emphasises coverage across the entire country; slightly less formal

  • nationwide

    very similar to 'countrywide', often used for campaigns or events

  • federal

    only used for countries with a federal system, like the US or Germany; more specific and formal

Antonyms
  • local

    relating to a small area such as a town or city

  • regional

    relating to a specific area within a country

  • international

    relating to multiple countries

Grammar Patterns

national + noun

Usage Note

Always placed directly before a noun. This sense contrasts with 'local' (covering a small area), 'regional' (covering several areas), and 'international' (covering multiple countries).

Common Mistakes

The news was broadcasted on nation television.
The news was broadcast on national television.
the adjective form 'national' is needed before the noun, not the noun 'nation'.

2. describes services, organizations, or property that belong to a central governme

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes services, organizations, or property that belong to a central government and are managed or funded by it, rather than being run by local authorities or businesses

Example

The national health service provides free medical care to all residents.

national + service (government-run)

Lan works for the national railway company that operates trains across the country.

Common collocations
  • national health service
  • national railway
  • national education system
  • national identity card
  • national bank
  • national government
  • national flag
Synonyms
  • state

    more common in British English for government-run services like schools and healthcare

  • federal

    used in federal countries like the US and Germany instead of 'national'

  • public

    emphasises that something belongs to or serves the whole community, though it can also refer to local government

Antonyms
  • private

    owned or run by an individual or company, not the government

  • local

    run by a city or county, not the central government

Grammar Patterns

national + noun

Usage Note

Commonly paired with nouns for public services (health, education, transport) and official documents (passport, ID card). Contrasts with 'private' (run by businesses for profit) and 'local government' (run by city or county authorities).

Common Mistakes

The school is a national school run by the city council.
The school is a state school run by the city council.
use 'state' or 'public' for local-government-run institutions; 'national' implies central government.

national — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'National' is the most versatile and common word — it describes anything relating to a whole country, from parks to identity. 'Nationwide' and 'countrywide' are narrower: they emphasise geographical coverage across all parts of a country, so they fit well with campaigns, searches, or events (e.g. 'a nationwide search for the missing child'). 'Nationwide' is more common than 'countrywide' in modern English. 'Federal' is different from the others because it refers specifically to the central government in a federal political system (e.g. the US, Germany, Australia). You would say 'federal law' but not 'federal park' unless it is directly owned by the federal government. Choose 'national' for general use, 'nationwide' for distribution across the country, and 'federal' only when discussing countries with a federal government structure.

national ↗nationwide ↗countrywidefederal ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • nationally

Phrases

  • at the national level
  • on a national scale
  • national of [country]

Prepositions

  • national of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'national' traces back to the Latin noun 'natio', meaning 'a tribe' or 'a group of people born in the same place'. 'Natio' moved into Old French as 'nation', and English adopted 'nation' in the 13th century. The adjective 'national' formed from 'nation' plus the suffix '-al' in the 15th century, originally meaning 'of one's own country' as opposed to 'foreign'. Over time it broadened to describe anything relating to a country as a whole — its culture, government, or people.