Definition of jingoism
: extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
jingoism was our Word of the Day on 03/11/2014. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
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 of jingoism from the Web
-
Shakespeare was a showman, and his Henry plays played to English jingoism and mythmaking.
-
The Sun and a majority of the other tabloids appealed to patriotism and jingoism and fears about immigration, and knew exactly what buttons to press.
-
Toshiba’s laptop sales have dropped sharply in China amid a slew of bad publicity in the state media, some of it laced with jingoism and anti-Japanese rhetoric.
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.
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.
Origin and Etymology of jingoism
see 2jingo
Other Government and Politics Terms
JINGOISM Defined for English Language Learners
jingoism
playDefinition of jingoism for English Language Learners
-
: 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
Learn More about jingoism
-
See words that rhyme with jingoism Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for jingoism Spanish Central: Translation of jingoism Nglish: Translation of jingoism for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jingoism
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up jingoism? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!