national

The word “national” means relating to an entire nation or country, rather than just a region or local area. In plain terms, belonging to, or covering, a whole country — as opposed to just one town, state, or region.

“National” is pronounced NASH-uh-nuhl (/ˈnæʃ.ə.nəl/ in IPA).

Here is “national” used in a sentence: “The story made national news within hours.”

Depending on how it is used, “national” can be an adjective and a noun.

The word “national” comes from French. From French national, built from "nation" plus the adjective ending "-al.".

“National” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“National” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: relating to an entire nation or country, rather than just a region or local area.

'National' relates to an entire country, affecting everyone within it — such as a national holiday or national law. 'Local' relates only to a particular town, city, or small area. A national newspaper covers the whole country, while a local one reports on the affairs of a single community.

'National' refers to matters within a single country, while 'international' involves two or more countries. A national team represents one nation; an international match is played between different nations. The prefix 'inter-' means 'between', so international describes anything that crosses borders rather than staying inside one country.

Common examples include a national anthem, a national flag, a national holiday, and national news. Each applies to a whole country rather than one region — the national anthem represents the entire nation, and a national holiday is observed everywhere within its borders on the same day.