USCIS 2025 Civics Test · 111 words

Citizenship Test Glossary

The civics test is full of words that rarely come up in everyday English: ratify, amendment, sovereignty, cabinet (the government kind, not the kitchen kind). If English is your second language, these are the words that trip you up, not the ideas. Here is every one of them, defined in plain words you can read out loud.

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A

Abolish: To formally end something (like slavery).
Abraham Lincoln: The 16th U.S. President. Led the country through the Civil War.
Alexander Hamilton: A founding father and the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.
Allegiance: Loyalty to a country.
Amendment: A change or addition to the Constitution, made by Congress and approved by the states.
Appalachian Mountains(app-uh-LAY-chee-un): A mountain range in the eastern U.S.
Atlantic: The ocean to the east of the U.S.

B

Ballot: The paper or screen where you mark your choices in an election.
Benjamin Franklin: A founding father, diplomat, scientist, and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Bill of Rights: The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, they protect individual freedoms.
Border: The line that separates one country, state, or region from another.

C

Cabinet: The President's top advisors, who lead the major government departments.
Campaign: A candidate's effort to win an election, speeches, ads, rallies.
Capital: The city where a government is based. The U.S. capital is Washington D.C.
Capitol: The building in Washington D.C. where Congress meets. (Different from 'capital.')
Citizen: A person who is legally a member of a country and has its rights and duties.
Civil Liberties: Basic personal freedoms protected from government interference.
Civil Rights: Citizens' protections from unfair treatment by the government or others.
Civil War: The 1861–1865 war between the Northern and Southern U.S. states.
Cold War: The 1947–1991 political tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
Colonial: Relating to the time before 1776 when America was ruled by Britain.
Colonies: The 13 British settlements that became the original 13 U.S. states.
Communism: A political system where the state owns most property and controls the economy.
Communist: Belonging to or supporting a Communist political party.
Congress: The U.S. lawmaking body, has two parts: the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Constitution: The supreme law of the United States, sets up the government and protects rights.
Continent: A large landmass like North America or Europe.

D

Declaration of Independence: The 1776 document that announced the colonies were independent from Britain.
Due Process: The principle that the government must follow fair legal steps before punishing someone.

E

Eisenhower: The 34th U.S. President (1953–1961). Led the U.S. forces in WWII Europe.
Election: When citizens vote to choose government officials.
Eligible: Allowed to do something, for voting, you must be a U.S. citizen 18 or older.
Emancipation(ee-MAN-si-PAY-shun): Freeing people from slavery.
Equal Protection: The principle that the law must treat people equally, regardless of race, sex, etc.
Executive: The branch of government that carries out laws, led by the President.
Expansion: The growth of the U.S. across the continent during the 1800s.

F

Federal: Relating to the national U.S. government (not the state government).
Felony: A serious crime, like robbery or assault, that can lead to more than 1 year in prison.
Flag: The U.S. flag has 13 stripes (for the original colonies) and 50 stars (one per state).
Founding Fathers: The leaders who wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Fourth of July: July 4. Independence Day, the U.S.'s birthday.
Frederick Douglass: A formerly enslaved man who became a leader of the abolition movement.
Freedom of Assembly: The right to gather peacefully with other people.
Freedom of Religion: The right to practice any religion, or none at all.
Freedom of Speech: The right to say what you think without the government punishing you.
Freedom of the Press: The right of newspapers and journalists to publish without government control.

G

General Election: The main election in November where citizens choose between party candidates.
Genocide: The deliberate killing of a large group of people because of their race, religion, or ethnicity.
George Washington: The 1st U.S. President and the leader of the Continental Army.
Great Depression: A severe global economic crisis in the 1930s.
Green Card: An ID card showing someone is a permanent resident of the U.S.

H

House of Representatives: The 435-member lower chamber of Congress, based on state population.

I

Impeach(im-PEECH): To formally charge a federal official (like the President) with serious wrongdoing.
Inauguration(in-AW-gyu-RAY-shun): The ceremony where a new President is sworn in. Happens January 20.
Incumbent(in-CUM-bent): The person currently holding the office. Often runs for re-election.
Independence Day: July 4, the U.S. holiday celebrating the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

J

James Madison: The "Father of the Constitution" and the 4th U.S. President.
Judicial(joo-DISH-ul): The branch of government that interprets laws, the courts.
Jurisdiction(JOOR-iss-DIK-shun): A geographic area or topic over which a court or government has legal authority.

L

Lawful: Following the law. "Lawful permanent resident" = legally allowed to live in the U.S.
Legislative(LEJ-iss-LAY-tiv): The branch of government that makes laws. Congress.

M

Manifesto: A public statement of beliefs or intentions.
Martin Luther King: A civil rights leader who fought for equal rights for African Americans in the 1950s–60s.
Memorial Day: A U.S. holiday in late May honoring soldiers who died serving the country.
Misdemeanor(mis-duh-MEEN-er): A less-serious crime, usually punished with a fine or under 1 year in jail.
Mississippi River: The longest river in the U.S., flowing through the middle of the country.

N

National Anthem: The official national song. The U.S. anthem is "The Star-Spangled Banner."
Naturalization: The process of becoming a U.S. citizen if you were born in another country.

O

Oath: A formal promise. The Oath of Allegiance is what new citizens take at the ceremony.
Oath of Allegiance: The formal promise to be loyal to the United States, said at the citizenship ceremony.
Override: Congress's power to pass a law even after the President vetoes it (needs 2/3 vote).
Overthrow: To remove a government from power, usually by force.

P

Pacific: The ocean to the west of the U.S.
Parole: Early release from prison, with conditions and supervision.
Permanent Resident: Someone who is allowed to live and work in the U.S. but is not yet a citizen.
Persecution: Cruel mistreatment of people because of their race, religion, politics, or identity.
Pledge of Allegiance: The promise of loyalty to the U.S. flag and country, said at school and ceremonies.
Preamble: The opening sentence of the Constitution. Starts with "We the People."
Primary: An early election where each party picks its candidate for the main election.
Probation: A court-ordered period when someone is monitored instead of going to jail.

R

Ratify: To officially approve something, usually a constitution, amendment, or treaty.
Register to Vote: To sign up with your state so you're allowed to vote in the next election.
Representative: A member of the U.S. House, represents a district within a state.
Revolution: A sudden, big change, usually in government. The American Revolution: 1775–1783.
Revolutionary War: The 1775–1783 war where the colonies won independence from Britain.
Right to Bear Arms: The right of citizens to keep and carry guns, set in the 2nd Amendment.
Rights: Freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, like speech, religion, and voting.
Rocky Mountains: A mountain range in the western U.S.
Roosevelt: Two presidents: Theodore (26th) and Franklin D. (32nd, who led the U.S. through WWII).

S

Segregation: The system of separating people by race in schools, jobs, and public places.
Senate: The 100-member upper chamber of Congress (2 senators per state).
Senator: A member of the U.S. Senate. Each state has 2.
Slavery: The system of forcing people to work without pay. Ended in the U.S. in 1865.
Sovereignty(SAH-ver-en-tee): A government's full power to rule itself, with no one above it.
Star-Spangled Banner: The national anthem of the U.S., written in 1814.
State: A region of the U.S. with its own government, like Colorado or Texas. There are 50.
Supreme Court: The highest court in the U.S. its decisions are final.
Supreme Law of the Land: The Constitution, the highest law in the U.S. which all other laws must follow.
Susan B. Anthony: A leader of the women's right-to-vote movement in the 1800s.
Sworn: Having taken a formal oath. New citizens are "sworn in."
Sworn in: Having taken the oath that makes someone officially a citizen or office-holder.

T

Territory: Land that belongs to a country but is not yet a full state.
Terrorist: A person who uses violence against civilians to achieve a political goal.
Thanksgiving: A U.S. holiday on the 4th Thursday of November, a tradition of giving thanks together.
Thomas Jefferson: The 3rd U.S. President. Wrote most of the Declaration of Independence.
Totalitarian: A government that controls every part of life, like Nazi Germany or Soviet Russia.

V

Veterans Day: November 11, a U.S. holiday honoring everyone who has served in the military.
Veto(VEE-toh): The President's power to reject a bill passed by Congress.
Vote: To choose a person or option in an election.

W

World War I: The 1914–1918 global war. The U.S. joined in 1917.
World War II: The 1939–1945 global war. The U.S. joined in 1941.

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