What does noncitizen mean?
A noncitizen is a person who does not possess citizenship in the country or state concerned. The word is used especially in legal, governmental, and immigration contexts, where it can refer to permanent residents, temporary residents, visa holders, or other people present within a country without citizenship rights. It is not synonymous with “foreigner”: a person may be born in a country yet legally lack citizenship there. In everyday conversation, “foreign national” or “immigrant” may be more familiar, but “noncitizen” is useful when the relevant distinction is legal status rather than nationality or place of birth. The term does not itself indicate whether someone has permission to remain in the country, and interpretations of related rights and protections depend on local law.
A person who is not a citizen of the country or state in which they live or are present, especially a legal resident without citizenship.
"She became a noncitizen of her former country after renouncing her passport."
Often used in legal, immigration, and governmental contexts; it does not necessarily imply that the person is foreign-born.
Denoting a person, status, group, or arrangement that is not a citizen or does not involve citizenship.
"The agency provides legal assistance to noncitizen residents."
Typically functions attributively in phrases such as “noncitizen resident” and “noncitizen population.”
The plural is used when referring to people who lack citizenship in a particular country or state.
"The policy affects thousands of noncitizens living in the region."
A noncitizen is not necessarily a foreigner: someone born in a country can lack citizenship there through inheritance, renunciation, or other legal circumstances.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does noncitizen come from?
The word combines the prefix non-, meaning “not,” with citizen. “Citizen” comes through Old French citeain from Latin civis, a city-dweller or member of a civic community, with the notion of belonging to a city or state. The Latin root also underlies related English words such as civic, civil, and city. The compound noncitizen developed as an administrative and legal expression for a person without citizenship in a particular state.
Related word forms
How noncitizen is actually used
The term is most common in legal, governmental, academic, and immigration-related contexts. It can sound more formal or administrative than “foreigner” or “immigrant,” and its meaning varies with the jurisdiction and context.
Easily confused with noncitizen
A foreigner is someone from another country, whereas a noncitizen is anyone who lacks citizenship in the relevant country and may include people born there.
Alien can refer broadly to a foreign-born person but can also have specialized legal meanings, while noncitizen more directly describes lack of citizenship.