National means relating to an entire nation or country as a whole. When something is national, it affects or involves everyone in that country, spanning all states, cities, and regions.

A national holiday like Independence Day is celebrated across the entire United States, from Maine to California. National news covers stories that matter to the whole country, reporting on events that affect or interest Americans everywhere. When someone joins the National Guard, they serve the entire nation, even though they might be stationed in just one state.

The word also describes things that belong to or represent a country. A national anthem is a country's official song. A national park is protected land owned by the federal government for all citizens to enjoy. When athletes compete in the Olympics, they wear their national colors and represent their home country.

You might hear about national standards in education, meaning rules or expectations that apply everywhere in the country, not just in your school district. Or someone might say an issue has become a national conversation, meaning people are discussing it from coast to coast.

Today, when we say something is national, we mean it connects to the shared identity, concerns, or systems of everyone in that country.