national

National is an adjective and, less commonly, a noun used to denote things pertaining to a nation. In political and social discourse, it describes the collective identity, institutions, and interests of a nation rather than of subnational entities such as provinces or municipalities. Common uses include national government, national legislature, national currency, national language, and national flag. The term is often contrasted with local, regional, or international, as in national laws versus municipal ordinances or international treaties.

The concept of a nation can refer to a people sharing language, culture, history, or ethnicity, united by allegiance to a political entity or idea of nationhood. A nation-state is a sovereign political unit whose borders roughly correspond to a nation. Nationalism is a related idea that emphasizes loyalty to and the interests of a nation or seeks to advance its political autonomy or unity.

In law, national or domestic law denotes rules applicable within a country, as opposed to international law. In statistics and policy, national indicators measure outcomes at the level of the country as a whole. Etymology: national derives from Latin natio, nat- “birth, tribe, people,” from nasci “to be born,” via Old French nation, meaning a community with a common national character.