nationalistic

adjective

na·​tion·​al·​is·​tic ˌna-sh(ə-)nə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce nationalistic (audio)
1
: of, favoring, or characterized by nationalism
As increasingly nationalistic, authoritarian regimes in eastern Europe trampled on the rights of all minorities in the economically beleaguered 1930s, the ethnic German communities were easily tempted by National Socialism.Christopher R. Browning
His thinking also took a peculiarly nationalistic bent, emphasizing that Buddhism had declined in India and China in turn and that Japan was now the central land of the religion.Edwin O. Reischauer
2
: of or relating to a nation
The team split its schedule between the U.S. and Mexico for 17 of the next 18 seasons before cultural and nationalistic differences between players and officials … bubbled to the top.Kevin Baxter
nationalistically adverb

Examples of nationalistic in a Sentence

the political party's nationalistic ideology a nationalistic display of the country's flag at all civic events
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The boom comes as the tariff spat with Washington has kicked up nationalistic support in China, and a promise not to back down in its face-off with the US. Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 3 Nov. 2025 But Shironitta adds that Takaichi, while seen as conservative and nationalistic, is also a realist. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 28 Oct. 2025 Among a flurry of nationalistic musings was an obscure academic named George Grant who scored a surprise bestseller in 1965’s Lament for a Nation. Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025 Though many party members welcome Takaichi’s ascendance as a potential return to the days of Abe, there are concerns that her nationalistic historical views could cause friction with East Asian neighbors China and South Korea. Arata Yamamoto, NBC news, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for nationalistic

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nationalistic was in 1855

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Cite this Entry

“Nationalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalistic. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.

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