(Welsh, dinassdyn, man of the city), in Law, an alien made a subject by letters of denization granted by the crown through the home-secretary of state.

A denizen is in a kind of middle state between an alien and a natural-born subject. He may take lands by purchase or devise, which an alien may not; but he cannot take by inheritance, for his parent through whom he must claim, being an alien, had no inheritable blood, and therefore could convey none to the son; and upon a like defect of blood, his issue born previous to his denization cannot inherit, but his issue born after may. A denizen is not excused from paying the alien's duty, and some other mercantile burdens. No denizen can be of the privy-council, or sit in either house of parliament, or hold any office of trust, civil or military, or receive any grant of lands, &c., from the crown.

Denization differs from naturalization only in degree; the latter merely conferring a few additional privileges.

The act 7th and 8th Vict. cap. 66, affords greater facilities for the naturalization of an alien than formerly existed for obtaining the lesser privilege of denizenship; and hence it is probable that denization will be superseded entirely.