denizen
/ˈdɛnɪz(ə)n
/noun
1 formal or humorous A person, animal, or plant that lives or is found in a particular place: denizens of field and forest...
- I'd like to take you on a little jaunt through my backyard here in Ithaca to meet some of the plant denizens I spend much of my time admiring.
- Their fleshy leaves readily absorb and retain moisture because most of these plants are denizens of the desert.
- If your yard is wet, however, plant bog plants and denizens of the damp.
Synonyms
inhabitant, resident, townsman, townswoman, native, local;
occupier, occupant, dweller
informal, derogatory local yokel
historical burgher, burgess
rare habitant, residentiary, oppidan, indweller
1.1British historical A foreigner allowed certain rights in their adopted country.The denizen was not a citizen because he did not have any political rights: he could not be a member of parliament or hold any civil or military office....
- The denizen was not a citizen nor an alien: but had a status akin to permanent residency today.
Derivatives
denizenship
- Since we are far from a global citizenship, we are aware of the fact that a status grounded on denizenship will also exclude some residents in Europe.
- In the case that there is no institution concerning denizenship in the country concerned but there is the equivalent right to the denizenship it will be acknowledged as denizenship.
- The sovereign cannot make a citizen by any act of his own; he can confer denizenship, but this does not make a man either a citizen or subject.
Origin
Late Middle English deynseyn, via Anglo-Norman French from Old French deinz 'within' (from Latin de 'from' + intus 'within') + -ein (from Latin -aneus '-aneous'). The change in the form of the word was due to association with citizen.