jingoism

noun

jin·go·ism | \ ˈjiŋ-(ˌ)gō-ˌi-zəm

Definition of jingoism

: extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy

Other Words from jingoism Synonyms Jingoism Got Its Start in the 19th Century Example Sentences Learn More about jingoism

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Other Words from jingoism

jingoist \ ˈjiŋ-(ˌ)gō-ist

\ noun or adjective

jingoistic \ ˌjiŋ-gō-ˈi-stik

\ adjective

jingoistically \ ˌjiŋ-gō-ˈi-sti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Jingoism Got Its Start in the 19th Century

Jingoism originated during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, when many British citizens were hostile toward Russia and felt Britain should intervene in the conflict. Supporters of the cause expressed their sentiments in a music-hall ditty with this refrain: We don't want to fight, yet by jingo if we do,

We've got the ships, we've got the men,
We've got the money, too!
Someone holding the attitude implied in the song became known as a jingo or jingoist, and the attitude itself was dubbed jingoism. The jingo in the tune is probably a euphemism for Jesus.

Examples of jingoism in a Sentence

When the war began many people were caught up in a wave of jingoism. his loudmouthed jingoism will not win us any foreign allies

Recent Examples on the Web

With recent feats by China in orbit and on the moon, the impulse among many Americans will be extreme pride verging on jingoism, and the return of the U.S. flag, stranded in orbit for the past eight years, will be a useful symbol. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "America Is About to Take Back Human Spaceflight, and It's a Lot More Than Just Flag-Waving," 4 Jan. 2019 Which is why the Dril character is a parody of a typical citizen: bloated on fast food and jingoism, lacking any trace of self-awareness or shame. — Bijan Stephen, The Verge, "@Dril is the best chronicler of the internet’s last decade," 27 Sep. 2018 National Health Service jingoism is an abiding feature of British politics. — Rupert Darwall, WSJ, "Reform the NHS Before It Kills Again," 4 July 2018 The episode was meant to be fun and Virginia-themed (?), but its bland jingoism fell way off the mark, especially considering the Bachelorette's general apathy. — Rebecca Farley, refinery29.com, "The Bachelorette Wants To Have Its Cake & Be Political, Too," 3 July 2018 Huntington, a lifelong Democrat, was accused of blimpish conservatism, jingoism or worse. — Gary J. Bass, New York Times, "Should We Worry About Trump’s Fawning Admiration of the Military?," 29 June 2018 There is certainly a deep-seated strain of anti-jingoism in American culture. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump’s Military Parade Would Not Be ‘Un-American’," 8 Feb. 2018 Alas, one person’s patriotism might be another’s jingoism, which would be forbidden in our attempts to imagine a movie world without politics. — John D'anna, azcentral, "D'Anna: Imagining a world with no politics in Hollywood," 7 Mar. 2018 How many people would watch without the flags and jingoism? — Bill Livingston, cleveland.com, "Greatness in sports can be child's play -- Bill Livingston," 26 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jingoism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of jingoism was in 1878

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More Definitions for jingoism

jingoism

noun

English Language Learners Definition of jingoism

disapproving : the feelings and beliefs of people who think that their country is always right and who are in favor of aggressive acts against other countries

See the full definition for jingoism in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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