Citizenship
Etymology
From “citizen,” via Anglo-French “citezein,” from Latin “civis,” “townsman, member of a city,” tied to “civitas,” the body of citizens making up a city-state. The word carries the ancient assumption that full political membership was originally membership in a city — the polis — not a nation.
noun · /SIT-ih-zun-ship/
Formal membership in a political community, carrying rights and duties that non-members do not share.
What it names
Reach for it to name the legal-political bond between a person and a state — the status that determines who may vote, claim protection, and be obliged to serve.
Example
After a decade of residence, he finally qualified for citizenship and cast his first vote.
Related idea
Citizenship is a formal legal status; nationality often refers to the same bond in international contexts, while “residency” grants a place to live without the political membership. A permanent resident may pay taxes and yet be barred from voting — present in the state but outside the citizenry.