Citizen
noun1
A personal Title denoting citizenship, implicitly of the nation in which it is spoken
2
A pupil of City of London School
citizen
nounalso spelled CitizenUK /ˈsɪtɪzən/ · US /ˈsɪtɪzən/
Etymology From Middle English citeseyn (“inhabitant of a city or town”), citezein, citisein, from Anglo-Norman citesain (“city-dweller, town-dweller”), citesein, citezein, alteration of citeien from cite (“city”) + -ien (“-ain”) (probable variant of cithein perhaps influenced by dainzain (“denizen”), deinzein), from Old French cite (“city”) + -ien (whence French citoyen), from earlier citet, from Latin civitatem, citatem, from civis. See also city. Displaced native Old English burhsittend and Old English ceasterware.
8 senses
- 1A resident of a city or town, especially one with…
- 2A legally recognized member of a state, with associated…
- 3An inhabitant or occupant: a member of any place.
- 4A resident of the heavenly city or (later) of the…
- 5A civilian, as opposed to a police officer, soldier, or…
- 6An ordinary person, as opposed to nobles and landed…
- 7A term of address among supporters of the French…
- 8A notional inhabitant of a software system; an object or…
1
A resident of a city or town, especially one with legally recognized rights or duties.
- [T]hat 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 were likely to get impatient.1862 July – 1863 August, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “What Florence was Thinking of”, in Romola. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1863, →OCLC, book II, page 180:
2
A legally recognized member of a state, with associated rights and obligations; a person considered in terms of this role.
- I am a Roman citizen.
- 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.1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 4:
2 more examples
- 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.2012 January 23, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2012, page 74:
- He is also a citizen of Antigua, because he purchased a home – where he now resides with his family.2019 October 7, Kate Springer, “Passports for purchase: Open citizenship doors around the world”, in CNN:
3
An inhabitant or occupant: a member of any place.
- Diogenes reckoned himself a citizen of the world.
- A jellyfish... carries poison cells that can sting other citizens of the sea.1979 October, Boys' Life, page 33:
4
Christianity A resident of the heavenly city or (later) of the kingdom of God: a Christian; a good Christian.
5
A civilian, as opposed to a police officer, soldier, or member of some other specialized (usually state) group.
6
Obsolete An ordinary person, as opposed to nobles and landed gentry on one side and peasants, craftsmen, and laborers on the other.
- [W]ould Mr. Delvile, who hardly ever spoke but to the high-born, without seeming to think his dignity somewhat injured, deign to receive for a daughter in law the child of a citizen and tradesman?1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia, III.v.6:
7
Capitalized, Historical, Usually A term of address among supporters of the French Revolution in France or elsewhere; (later, dated) a term of address among socialists and communists.
- Citizen, I desire nothing more than to get to Paris, though I could dispense with the escort.1859, Charles Dickens, “In Secret”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book III (The Track of a Storm), page 166:
8
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences Figuratively A notional inhabitant of a software system; an object or a software application.
- The HIG delivers Apple's design commandments, the company's definition of what it means to be a good iPhone citizen.2010, Josh Clark, Tapworthy: Designing Great iPhone Apps, O'Reilly, →ISBN, page 99:
- Synonyms
- burgess, burgher, denizen, townsman, townswoman
- Antonyms
- countryfolk, country gentleman, countryman, peasant, villager
- Derived terms
56 terms
anticitizen, birthright citizen, citizen band, citizendom, citizeness, citizenhood, citizenise, citizenish, citizenism, citizenist, citizenization, citizenize, citizen journalism, citizen journalist, citizen king, citizen life, citizenlike, citizenly, citizen magistrate, citizen media, citizen of nature, citizen of the world, citizen prince, citizenry, citizen's arrest, citizens' band, citizens band, Citizens' Charter, citizen science, citizen scientist, citizenship, citizens' media, citizen soldier, citizen sovereign, cocitizen, concitizen, corporate citizen, cybercitizen, dual citizen, e-citizen, fellow citizen, First Citizen, market citizen, NCTzen, netizen, noncitizen, private citizen, protocitizen, semicitizen, shitizen, sovereign citizen, supercitizen, Twittizen, uncitizen, undercitizen, world citizen