1
as in nationals
a person who owes allegiance to a government and is protected by it
conscientious citizens who regard voting as a duty as well as a right
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in villagers
a person who lives in a town on a permanent basis
claimed that the good citizens of the town were sick of high property taxes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of citizens
Statues of prominent citizens line the route, many missing heads or limbs, while religious and civic buildings once painted in bright colors now appear butter-yellow.
—
Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
After the killings of two American citizens — to say nothing of the brutal treatment of immigrants, both legal and otherwise — the outrage is palpable and growing.
—Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
But the slow drip of revelations has reinforced a perception that power protects itself and that ordinary citizens live under a different standard.
—Kaitlyn Buss, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
Two citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by federal agents on the city’s streets.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026
This distinction has helped separate casual use of public lands—such as private citizens panning for gold, which anyone can do freely—from commercial activities.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Second, Obama didn’t send scores of ICE and CBP agents storming into cities to scoop up non-citizens for deportation (with some citizens caught up in the mix), terrorizing everyone and leading to violence in the streets.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
None of us are qualified to coordinate a citywide effort to resist a heavily armed and federally sanctioned squad of sociopaths, unleashed with total impunity upon everyday citizens.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
This authoritarian apparatus has relied on mass killings to ensure its survival while ignoring the basic and inalienable rights of citizens—including the fundamental right to seek change in the political system.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
After the killings of two American citizens — to say nothing of the brutal treatment of immigrants, both legal and otherwise — the outrage is palpable and growing.
—Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
But the slow drip of revelations has reinforced a perception that power protects itself and that ordinary citizens live under a different standard.
—Kaitlyn Buss, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
Two citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, killed by federal agents on the city’s streets.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2026
This distinction has helped separate casual use of public lands—such as private citizens panning for gold, which anyone can do freely—from commercial activities.
—Lauren Steele, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2026
Second, Obama didn’t send scores of ICE and CBP agents storming into cities to scoop up non-citizens for deportation (with some citizens caught up in the mix), terrorizing everyone and leading to violence in the streets.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 6 Feb. 2026
None of us are qualified to coordinate a citywide effort to resist a heavily armed and federally sanctioned squad of sociopaths, unleashed with total impunity upon everyday citizens.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
This authoritarian apparatus has relied on mass killings to ensure its survival while ignoring the basic and inalienable rights of citizens—including the fundamental right to seek change in the political system.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for citizens
Noun
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China, one of Japan’s biggest trading partners, responded by reimposing a ban on Japanese seafood imports, implementing restrictions on rare earth mineral exports and warning Chinese nationals against traveling to Japan.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
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Analysts could not determine whether the conversation in the call between two foreign nationals was gossip or deliberate misinformation, according to the intelligence official.—
Michael Kaplan,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This was the local method of refrigeration, and the villagers survived on subsistence hunting.—
Ken Harbaugh,
The Atlantic,
9 Feb. 2026
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Attackers kill 3, abduct 11 in Nigeria ABUJA, Nigeria -- Gunmen killed three villagers and abducted 11 people, including a Catholic priest, during a predawn attack in northwest Nigeria on Saturday, church officials said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The company is also committing financial support to local residents.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
12 Feb. 2026
-
In February 2024, the City Council appointed seven residents to serve.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Memories differ between the island inhabitants and Hein.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
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Rather than scrolling, people are reading of the mist that obscures Yorkshire moors and its inhabitants’ judgments.—
Hannah Benson,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Citizens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/citizens. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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