What does citizen mean?
A citizen is a person who is legally recognized as a member of a sovereign state or nation, typically holding rights such as voting, working, and residing there, along with corresponding responsibilities like obeying its laws. The term also has an older, broader sense meaning simply an inhabitant of a town or city. Beyond the strictly legal meaning, 'citizen' often appears figuratively: a 'concerned citizen' is any engaged member of society, and phrases like 'good citizen' or 'model citizen' describe someone who behaves responsibly toward their community. The word carries connotations of civic duty, belonging, and participation in public life, which is why it features heavily in political discourse, journalism, and law. Related forms include 'citizenship' — the status of being a citizen — and 'citizenry,' meaning the citizens of a place collectively. Common collocations include 'fellow citizen,' 'senior citizen,' and 'naturalized citizen.' Because citizenship confers legal standing that residency alone does not, the word is distinct from terms like 'resident' or 'civilian' and remains central to discussions of identity, immigration, and belonging.
A person who is legally recognized as a member of a particular state or nation, entitled to its rights and subject to its duties.
"Every citizen over eighteen has the right to vote."
In legal contexts, this sense contrasts with 'resident', 'immigrant', or 'non-citizen'.
An inhabitant of a particular town or city.
"The mayor addressed the citizens gathered in the town square."
This older sense survives mainly in historical or formal writing.
The plural 'citizens' is regular and widely used; the collective noun 'citizenry' refers to all citizens of a place as a body.
"Thousands of citizens lined the streets to watch the parade."
The word 'citizen' comes from the same Latin root as 'city' — for the ancient Romans, to be a citizen was literally to belong to the city of Rome itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of citizen
Citizen comes from the Anglo-Norman and Middle French 'citezein', derived from Old French 'citeain', ultimately from Latin 'civitas' meaning 'city' or 'community of citizens', itself from 'civis' ('citizen'). It entered English in the late medieval period, displacing the earlier native term 'burhware'. Its cognates include 'city', 'civic', and 'civil', all tracing back to the same Latin root 'civis'.
Related word forms
How citizen is actually used
The word carries civic and legal weight, so it is common in political, legal, and journalistic contexts. In older or literary usage it can simply mean a townsperson. Phrases like 'good citizen' can also be used figuratively outside politics (e.g. in computing or business) to describe something that behaves responsibly within a system.
Easily confused with citizen
A civilian is a person not in the armed forces, whereas a citizen is a legally recognized member of a state.
A resident simply lives in a place, while a citizen holds formal legal membership in that country with attendant rights and obligations.