national-security
UK[ˈnæʃ.nəl sɪˈkjʊə.rə.ti]US[ˈnæʃ.nəl səˈkjʊr.ə.t̬i]
n
The safety of a nation and its people from threats such as attack, terrorism, or espionage.
n
The government department or policy responsible for protecting a country from such threats.
Morpheme Breakdown
nation
al
security
nation
people, country
al
adjective suffix
security
safety, protection
Etymology
The compound term 'national security' is a modern political and legal construct, synthesizing two concepts with deep classical roots. 'Nation' originates from the Latin natio, denoting a group born together, which evolved through French to signify a sovereign political community. 'Security' stems from Latin securus, meaning 'free from care', itself a compound of se- (without) and cura (care). The adjective-forming suffix '-al' links 'nation' to 'security', specifying that the condition of safety pertains to the state as a whole. Thus, the term's literal logic progresses from "pertaining to a people" combined with "a state of being untroubled and safe" to define the abstract, comprehensive safety of a modern polity from external and internal dangers.
Analysis
Structure: nation (people, country) + al (adjective suffix) + security (safety, protection)
nation: From Latin natio (birth, race, people), via Old French. In this compound, it functions as the root specifying the entity being protected.
al: A suffix of Latin origin, forming adjectives meaning "of or pertaining to". Here, it modifies 'nation' to create the adjective 'national'.
security: From Latin securitas (freedom from care, safety), from securus (free from care, safe). It functions as the core noun denoting the state or concept of safety.
Examples
The new policy was implemented to safeguard the country's national security.
He has a long career working in national security and intelligence.
The debate centered on the balance between personal privacy and national security.