nationalism

noun na·tion·al·ism \ ˈnash-nə-ˌli-zəm , ˈna-shə-nə-ˌli-zəm \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Examples: nationalism in a Sentence

Editor's Note: The difference between nationalism, patriotism, sectionalism, and jingoism

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

See nationalism defined for English-language learners

See nationalism defined for kids

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

In an ironic twist, alt-right activists—many previously banned from Twitter for their embrace of violent white nationalism—returned to the platform long enough to help hunt down and report the offending users.

— jessi hempel, WIRED, "Immigration Fight Shows Silicon Valley Must Stop Feigning Neutrality," 8 July 2018
Maybe so, but the more pessimistic view is that Putin represents a now-entrenched revanchist nationalism that sees the liberal international order as a mere smokescreen for the advancement of Western political agendas.

— daniel beer, New York Times, "Does Vladimir Putin Speak for the Russian People?," 6 July 2018
Like other right-wing Russian fan clubs who were steeped in the culture of English soccer hooliganism of the 1980s, TOYS mixed violence and Russian nationalism.

— thomas grove, WSJ, "Russia Gives Soccer Hooligans the Boot at World Cup," 4 July 2018
But in the end, nationalism also constrained the family loyalties of the continent’s monarchs, who could or would not save their Russian relatives from murder—the centenary of which will be commemorated in Russia next month.

— The Economist, "How the royal houses of Europe abandoned the Romanovs," 28 June 2018
At the same time, Trump, a former Democrat who has expressed few firm policy beliefs beyond strident nationalism, has advanced a number of policies that would have turned many Republicans apoplectic during Obama’s term.

— jonathan tamari, Philly.com, "For traditional Republicans, immigration, tariffs show risks of 'silent bargain' with Trump," 25 June 2018
The Russians are not manufacturing an issue out of whole cloth — nationalism clearly has an authentic popular basis — but instead use their influence to magnify it.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Britain Has a Russia Collusion Scandal Now. It Looks Exactly Like Trump’s.," 22 June 2018
Relentless Republican obstruction didn’t fit with Obama’s tale of there being no red or blue America; rising chaos and nationalism were out of tune with his hymn of walls falling.

— george packer, The New Yorker, "Witnessing the Obama Presidency, from Start to Finish," 5 June 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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nationalism Synonyms

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

NATIONALISM Defined for English Language Learners

nationalism

noun

Definition of nationalism for English Language Learners

: 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
: 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