Meaning & use
citizenship status
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountableformallegal
The official legal position of a person as a citizen of a particular country, or as a non-citizen such as a resident or visitor.
Grammar: Can be used with 'a' or in the plural when referring to different categories: 'a citizenship status', 'various citizenship statuses'. Also used uncountably: 'Please indicate your citizenship status.'
Patterns
- someone's citizenship status
- change someone's citizenship status
- have a citizenship status
- apply for a citizenship status
The form asks you to state your citizenship status.
Her citizenship status changed after she took the oath.
People with different citizenship statuses have different rights.
noununcountableformallegal
The condition of being a citizen, especially in terms of rights and duties, as recognized by law.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or a plural when referring to the general condition: 'citizenship status is important'.
Patterns
- citizenship status of someone
- grant citizenship status
- deny citizenship status
The law grants citizenship status to people born in the country.
He was denied citizenship status because of his criminal record.
Word forms
| plural | citizenship statuses |
|---|
Common combinations
- legal citizenship status
- Her legal citizenship status is still being reviewed.
- change your citizenship status
- You must report to the office if you change your citizenship status.
- proof of citizenship status
- Please bring proof of citizenship status to the interview.
- citizenship status application
- The citizenship status application can take several months.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nationality
- Nationality often refers to the country you belong to by birth or naturalization, while citizenship status is a broader legal category that can include non-citizens.
- immigration status
- Immigration status focuses on your legal right to be in a country, which may be separate from citizenship; citizenship status specifically concerns being a citizen.
Word family
- citizen noun
- A person who legally belongs to a country.
- citizenship noun
- The state of being a citizen.
Commonly confused: citizenship status or residency status?
citizenship status vs residency status
Residency status refers to permission to live in a country, which is different from citizenship status (being a citizen).
Practice
Which sentence uses 'citizenship status' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option B is correct because 'applied for citizenship status' is a natural verb phrase. Option An is wrong because we say 'citizenship status in Canada', not 'of Canada'. Option C is wrong because 'citizenship status' is not a person. Option D is wrong because it defines the term incorrectly.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “citizenship status”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.