Citizen
/ˈsɪtɪzən/noun
A legally recognized member of a state or nation.
Did you know?Citizen ultimately comes from the same Latin root as “city,” and in medieval English it could imply someone tied to a city’s civic order rather than just a modern passport-holder.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱey-
“to lie down, settle, or be at rest”
Latin
Latin
civis
“a citizen, member of a community or state”
Latin
Latin
civitas
“citizenship; a community of citizens; a city-state”
Old French
OF
citeien
“an inhabitant of a city; townsman”
Middle English
English
citesein / citezein
“a city dweller; burgess”
Modern English
English
citizen
“a legally recognized member of a state or nation”