Ancestry vs. Nationality — What's the Difference?

Ancestral descent or lineage.

Nationality is a legal identification of a person in international law, establishing the person as a subject, a national, of a sovereign state. It affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the state against other states.Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that "Everyone has the right to a nationality," and "No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality." By international custom and conventions, it is the right of each state to determine who its nationals are.

Ancestors considered as a group.

The status of belonging to a particular nation by origin, birth, or naturalization.

Condition as to ancestors; ancestral lineage; hence, birth or honorable descent.

A people having common origins or traditions and often constituting a nation.

A series of ancestors or progenitors; lineage, or those who compose the line of natural descent.

Existence as a politically autonomous entity; national independence.

Condition as to ancestors; ancestral lineage; hence, birth or honorable descent.

National character.

A series of ancestors or progenitors; lineage, or those who compose the line of natural descent.

Nationalism.

The descendants of one individual;

National, i.e. ethnic and/or cultural, character or identity.

Inherited properties shared with others of your bloodline

Nationalism or patriotism.

National origin or identity; legal membership of a particular nation or state, by origin, birth, naturalization, ownership, allegiance or otherwise.

A people sharing a common origin, culture and/or language, and possibly constituting a nation-state.

(obsolete) Political existence, independence or unity as a national entity.

The quality of being national, or strongly attached to one's own nation; patriotism.

The sum of the qualities which distinguish a nation; national character.

A race or people, as determined by common language and character, and not by political bias or divisions; a nation.

Existence as a distinct or individual nation; national unity and integrity.

The state or quality of belonging to or being connected with a nation or government by nativity, character, ownership, allegiance, etc.; as, to record one's nationality on identification papers; the Soviet Union had citizens of many nationalities.

The status of belonging to a particular nation by birth or naturalization