na·tion·al·ist
ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-list 
plural nationalists
: an advocate of or believer in nationalism: such as
a
: a member of a political party or group advocating a government that is strongly committed to nationalism (see nationalism sense 1)
Nationalists in the United States and elsewhere advocate wide-ranging government control of the economy, most notably in the form of industrial policy, protectionism, and immigration restrictionism.—
Alex Nowrasteh and Ilya Somin
Alex Nowrasteh and Ilya Somin
b
: a member of a political party or group advocating national independence
An independent Wales, nationalists point out, would still be larger than 39 other self-sufficient nations …—Peter Stuart
Peter Stuart1
: of, relating to, or advocating nationalism
nationalist beliefs/ideologies/sentiments
After independence, nationalist fervor rejected compulsory English instruction in favor of the national language, Pilipino, which is based on Tagalog, a tongue spoken by the population around Manila.—Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester
Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester2
sometimes Nationalist
: of or constituting a political group or party advocating or associated with nationalism
the group's nationalist agenda
… the strength of the Nationalist vote greatly inhibits the possibility of a majority Labour government …—Brian Wilson
—often used in the capitalized names of specific groupsBrian Wilsona member of the Irish Nationalist Party
Examples of nationalist in a Sentence
Noun
a staunch nationalist who favored any policy that would give the country more power in the international arena
Adjective
The country's Nationalist Party won the election.
most of the articles on the website are nationalist propaganda and not objective by any means
Recent Examples on the Web
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
As the 1956 Suez Crisis helped crystallize an alliance between Arab nationalists and the Soviet Union, this anti-Zionist ideology took root in the Middle East.
—
Adam Louis-Klein,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
Saturday’s Pride march came a little more than a year after Orbán’s nationalist-populist government passed legislation and a constitutional amendment to outlaw the event, drawing condemnation from human rights groups and politicians across the European Union.
—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
The group at the center of the feud, the UPA, was founded by nationalists loyal to Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera.
—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
20 June 2026
As the 1956 Suez Crisis helped crystallize an alliance between Arab nationalists and the Soviet Union, this anti-Zionist ideology took root in the Middle East.
—
Adam Louis-Klein,
The Atlantic,
18 June 2026
Adjective
Some in Ukraine view the UPA as nationalist heroes for their resistance to Soviet and Nazi forces.
—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
27 June 2026
Saturday’s Pride march came a little more than a year after Orbán’s nationalist-populist government passed legislation and a constitutional amendment to outlaw the event, drawing condemnation from human rights groups and politicians across the European Union.
—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
Cite this Entry
“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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