natural born citizen

A "natural-born citizen" generally refers to someone who is a citizen of a country from birth, without needing to go through a separate naturalization process. In the United States, this typically includes individuals born on U.S. soil (such as on the mainland, territories, or military bases) or born abroad to U.S. citizen parents who meet certain legal criteria. The concept ensures that the person has a lifelong allegiance to the country by virtue of their birth circumstances. This status is important for eligibility to run for certain offices, like the presidency, under U.S. constitutional requirements.