cit ‧ i ‧ zen S2 W2 /ˈsɪtəz ə n, ˈsɪtɪz ə n/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Anglo-French ; Origin: citezein , from Old French citeien , from cité ( ⇨ ↑ city ); probably influenced by denizen ]
1 . someone who lives in a particular town, country, or state:
We need our schools to teach students to be good citizens.
The mayor urged citizens to begin preparing for a major storm.
⇨ ↑ senior citizen
2 . someone who legally belongs to a particular country and has rights and responsibilities there, whether they are living there or not ⇨ national :
At the time, there were over 2,000 British citizens living in Iraq.
3 . second-class citizen someone who is made to feel unimportant because of the way people treat them
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1 )
■ adjectives
▪ a good citizen
One of the aims of education is to produce good citizens.
▪ a law-abiding citizen (=never breaking the law)
Most of the people in this town are law-abiding citizens.
▪ a respectable/decent citizen (=good and honest)
There are gangs on the streets who are terrorizing respectable citizens.
▪ an upstanding/upright citizen (=honest and responsible)
The rest of his family are honest upright citizens.
▪ a model citizen (=a very good one)
His neighbours described him as a model citizen.
▪ an ordinary citizen ( also a regular citizen American English )
The government is not aware of the views of ordinary citizens.
▪ a senior citizen (=someone over 60 years old, or someone who has retired)
There are special clubs for senior citizens.
▪ sb’s fellow citizens (=people who live in the same town, country etc as you)
70% of our fellow citizens live in poverty.
▪ a private citizen (=an ordinary citizen without a public position)
Laws exist to protect private citizens.
▪ a leading/prominent citizen (=an important one)
The protests were led by leading citizens in the community.
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THESAURUS
▪ citizen someone who lives in a particular town, country, or state:
In order to become a US citizen, you need to have a Permanent Resident card.
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All British citizens have the right to live in the UK.
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Good citizens understand that they have a responsibility to the community.
▪ national a citizen of a country who is living in another country:
She insisted that foreign nationals were safe in the country.
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Russians nationals were ordered to leave.
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Her husband is a French national.
▪ resident someone who lives in a particular street or area:
There have been complaints by local residents about the building work.
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She was a resident of Chicago for many years.
▪ native someone who was born in a particular country but moved to another country – used when describing a person or their life:
Picasso was a native of Spain, although he spent much of his life in France.
▪ subject someone who was born in a country that has a king or queen, and has a right to live there:
Northern Ireland citizens are British subjects.
▪ alien formal someone who is not a legal citizen of the country they are living or working in - used in official contexts:
Employers cannot hire illegal aliens.