Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
patrial

patrial

9.9
A person who has the right to live in the UK because a parent or grandparent was born there
  • noun
  • /ˈpeɪtriəl/
  • UK
: patrial
  • The Immigration Act of 1971 first introduced the concept of a patrial.

Examples

  • She applied as a patrial to establish her right of abode in the UK.

  • Because his mother was born in London, he was a patrial under British law.

  • She is a patrial because her mother was born in London.

  • Many patrials are applying for UK citizenship.

  • Because his mother was born in London, he is recognized as a patrial under British law.

  • She successfully registered as a patrial to gain the right to live in the UK.

  • Individuals with a British parent or grandparent can be classified as patrial citizens.

Surface Forms

patrial singular
patrials plural

Morphology

patrial = patri (opaque) = patri + al

The element 'patri-' is a non-productive combining form (not a standalone modern English word) and the term refers to a specialised legal status, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning.

Etymology

Patrial comes from the Latin patria, meaning 'fatherland' or 'native country', and it shares the same root as patriot. So a patrial is someone who can claim the right to be a citizen because a parent or grandparent was born in that country.