Definition of nationalism
1 : loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness (see consciousness 1c) exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups Intense nationalism was one of the causes of the war.
2 : a nationalist movement or government opposing nationalisms
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Examples of nationalism in a Sentence
The war was caused by nationalism and greed.
Nazism's almost epic nationalism appealed to downtrodden Germans still suffering the humiliation of being defeated in World War I.
Recent Examples of nationalism from the Web
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Between Donald Trump’s nationalism and Vladimir Putin’s authoritarian populism, many regard Angela Merkel as the last real democratic leader standing.
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The upshot was a strengthened, more confident and less divergent euro zone, and a political model for curbing nationalism.
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Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord was a sign that nationalism still holds sway, as was his July speech in Poland warning of the decline of the West.
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Moreover, Trump’s open admiration of Putin seems to be fueled by the very qualities Putin admires in Stalin: strength, ruthlessness, nationalism, militarism.
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Poland’s Law and Justice Party represents perhaps the high-watermark for right-winged populist nationalism in Europe today following setbacks for similar groups in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, France and Britain.
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My parents didn’t teach me to question patriotism and nationalism—the city of St. Louis did.
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Former President Barack Obama has spoken on the dangers of nationalism and President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement, without actually mentioning him by name.
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But the reason for uniting back then was far from the celebration of nationalism that the day represents now.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nationalism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The difference between nationalism, patriotism, sectionalism, and jingoism
Nationalism has a number of near-synonyms, each of which carries its own distinct meaning. Patriotism is similar insofar as it emphasizes strong feelings for one’s country, but it does not necessarily imply an attitude of superiority. Sectionalism resembles nationalism in its suggestion of a geopolitical group pursuing its self-interest, but the group in question is usually smaller than an entire nation. Jingoism closely resembles nationalism in suggesting feelings of cultural superiority, but unlike nationalism, it always implies military aggressiveness.
First Known Use of nationalism
1798
Other Government and Politics Terms
NATIONALISM Defined for English Language Learners
nationalism
playDefinition of nationalism for English Language Learners
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: a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries
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: a desire by a large group of people (such as people who share the same culture, history, language, etc.) to form a separate and independent nation of their own
NATIONALISM Defined for Kids
nationalism
playDefinition of nationalism for Students
: devotion to the interests of a certain country and belief that it is better and more important than other countries
Learn More about nationalism
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See words that rhyme with nationalism Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for nationalism Spanish Central: Translation of nationalism Nglish: Translation of nationalism for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of nationalism for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nationalism
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