A democrat is a free citizen who yields to the will of the majority.
Source: tatoeba (1774)
Citizen
/ˈsɪtɪzən/
Synonyms for "citizen" (77 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (16)
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (23)
denizendwellerfranklinfree citizenfreedmanfreedwomanfreemanfreewomanhouseholderhyphenatehyphenated americanimmigrantinhabitant
Adjective(2 words)
legal subjectmaldivian
Related words (38)
Noun(16 words)
meticnationalnativenaturalized citizennonbelligerentnoncombatantnonnative citizennonresistantnonresisteroppidanratepayerresidentsubjecttaxpayertownertownsmantownswomanvillagervoter
Adjective(2 words)
national adjectivesocial actor
Determiner(1 words)
the governed
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: belonger, belongers, burgess, burgess, burgher.
- Sentence evidence is available for citizen, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from derived_reverse, moby, wiktionary, opengloss, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "citizen".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "citizen"
Keep "citizen" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "citizen" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "citizen", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "citizen" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
10 entriesMore specific
16 entriescitizen dutiescitizen involvementcitizen journalismcitizen journalistcitizen participationcitizen reportingcitizen rightscitizen sciencecitizen scientistcity residentdual citizennative citizennaturalized citizenrural residenttown residentvoting citizen
Collocations
8 entriescitizen dutiescitizen involvementcitizen journalismcitizen journalistcitizen participationcitizen rightscitizen sciencegood citizen
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
4 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
20 translations across 11 languages.
Bulgarian
2 entries- гра́жданин noun (antonym to "subject")
- гра́жданка noun (antonym to "subject")
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 市民 noun (antonym to "subject")
Estonian
1 entries- kodanik noun (antonym to "subject")
Finnish
1 entries- kansalainen noun (antonym to "subject")
Greek
1 entries- πολίτης noun (antonym to "subject")
Hungarian
1 entries- polgár noun (antonym to "subject")
Japanese
4 entries- 人民 noun (antonym to "subject")
- 民 noun (antonym to "subject")
- 民衆 noun (antonym to "subject")
- 臣民 noun (antonym to "subject")
Macedonian
2 entries- граѓанин noun (antonym to "subject")
- граѓанка noun (antonym to "subject")
Portuguese
1 entries- cidadão noun (antonym to "subject")
Russian
2 entries- гражда́нка noun (antonym to "subject")
- граждани́н noun (antonym to "subject")
Serbo-Croatian
4 entries- grȁđanin noun (antonym to "subject")
- grȁđānka noun (antonym to "subject")
- гра̏ђа̄нка noun (antonym to "subject")
- гра̏ђанин noun (antonym to "subject")
Sample sentences
20 total sentences available.
A passport identifies you as a citizen of a country and allows you to travel to foreign countries.
Source: tatoeba (35278)
And so each citizen plays an indispensable role.
Source: tatoeba (42977)
Every citizen ought to help them.
Source: tatoeba (51753)
Showing 4 of 20 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "citizen"?
Closest matches include belonger, belongers, burgess, burgess, burgher.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "citizen"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.