According to the 14th amendment, who is defined as a citizen?

The 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States. This was established primarily to provide citizenship to former slaves after the Civil War, ensuring that anyone born in the U.S., regardless of their parents' citizenship status, is recognized as a citizen.

This means that both individuals born on U.S. soil—commonly referred to as "birthright citizenship"—and those who are naturalized citizens (people who have legally immigrated and gone through the process to become citizens) fall under this definition. The amendment effectively guarantees citizenship to a broad and inclusive population within the country.

While there are limitations in specific contexts regarding citizenship for children born abroad to U.S. citizens, the fundamental principle as laid out in the 14th Amendment recognizes anyone born on U.S. soil or to U.S. citizens as a citizen.