naturalized citizenship

Meaning

1. 1noununcountablelegal

   The legal status of a person who was born a foreigner but has been officially accepted as a full citizen of a country.

   Grammar: Usually uncountable: she holds naturalized citizenship, not a naturalized citizenship.

   Patterns

   • apply for naturalized citizenship
   • gain naturalized citizenship

   After ten years in the country, he applied for naturalized citizenship.

   Naturalized citizenship usually requires passing a language and history test.

   Her naturalized citizenship gave her the right to vote.

Common combinations

apply for naturalized citizenship

Many residents apply for naturalized citizenship after five years.

obtain naturalized citizenship

He obtained naturalized citizenship in 2019.

revoke naturalized citizenship

A court can revoke naturalized citizenship if it was gained by fraud.

eligible for naturalized citizenship

Spouses of citizens may be eligible for naturalized citizenship sooner.

proof of naturalized citizenship

You need proof of naturalized citizenship to get a passport.

Synonyms and how they differ

naturalization

Naturalization names the process of becoming a citizen, while naturalized citizenship names the status you hold afterwards.

citizenship by naturalization

This longer phrase means the same thing but is more formal and common in legal documents.

Opposites

Word family

naturalize verb

to give a foreign-born person citizenship

naturalization noun

the legal process of becoming a citizen

naturalized adjective

having become a citizen this way

citizen noun

a person with full legal membership of a country

Commonly confused: naturalized citizenship or naturalization?

Practice

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