na·tion·al·ist
ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-list 
plural nationalists
1
: an advocate of or believer in nationalism
2
: a member of a political party or group advocating national independence or strong national government
compare black nationalist, white nationalist
1
: of, relating to, or advocating nationalism
2
: of, relating to, or being a political group advocating or associated with nationalism
Synonyms
Examples of nationalist in a Sentence
Noun
a staunch nationalist who favored any policy that would give the country more power in the international arena
Adjective
The country's Nationalist Party won the election.
most of the articles on the website are nationalist propaganda and not objective by any means
Recent Examples on the Web
Rhea Mogul, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023
But critics of the ruling Hindu nationalists have pointed out that many of those places had names that sounded Muslim; Muslims have increasingly come under attack under Mr. Modi’s rule.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Some nationalists portrayed Prigozhin and Wagner as charismatic heroes who projected Russia’s more aggressive global role.
—Robyn Dixon, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2023
Two decades later, a crazed German nationalist helped push the United States into World War II.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
Right-wing nationalists, whose influence in Estonia has increased over the past decade, had opposed the change.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Aug. 2023
In the political debate, Taiwanese nationalists often emphasize the existence of the Indigenous groups as evidence that Taiwan has its unique origins, of which the Chinese culture is only a part, Yu-Jen Chen, the food historian, wrote in her book.
—Li Yuan, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023
The fact that Bolton—an Iraq War architect, radical nationalist and neocon, and former Trump staffer—is calling out Republican 2024 candidates for their meekness speaks volumes.
—Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic, 28 June 2023
Ukrainian nationalists say the events were the result of an ongoing struggle between Poles and Ukrainians at the time.
—Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2023
Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
Netanyahu’s government sees the court as an obstacle to its vision of a more conservative, nationalist society.
—Patrick Kingsley, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
But opposition groups have questioned the motivation and timing for using Bharat, which appeals to the prime minister’s Hindu nationalist base.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Some critics see this shift as a result of the bill being hijacked by the factional, and increasingly extreme, politics of the Conservative Party, which has taken on a populist and nationalist tinge since the divisive vote to leave the European Union in 2016.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2023
In fact, until the late 1990s, the Meitei nationalist movement sought independence from India.
—Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2023
But an off-hand comment by one of his examiners, about the tricolor ribbon pinned to his lapel — a nationalist symbol in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary — sparks a controversy that soon snowballs into a nationwide scandal.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Sep. 2023
China’s falling prices are a more profound problem than U.S. inflation
Xi’s apparent approach to the moment has been to double down on his hard-line nationalist instincts.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
The Global Times, a nationalist Communist Party newspaper in China, posted about the map on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
—David Pierson, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Sep. 2023
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Noun
In the following years, Hindu nationalists rallied to build the Ram Mandir on the land, setting the stage for an emotional and politically charged showdown that lasted nearly three decades.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN, 16 Sep. 2023
But critics of the ruling Hindu nationalists have pointed out that many of those places had names that sounded Muslim; Muslims have increasingly come under attack under Mr. Modi’s rule.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Some nationalists portrayed Prigozhin and Wagner as charismatic heroes who projected Russia’s more aggressive global role.
—Robyn Dixon, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2023
Two decades later, a crazed German nationalist helped push the United States into World War II.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 22 Aug. 2023
Right-wing nationalists, whose influence in Estonia has increased over the past decade, had opposed the change.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Aug. 2023
In the political debate, Taiwanese nationalists often emphasize the existence of the Indigenous groups as evidence that Taiwan has its unique origins, of which the Chinese culture is only a part, Yu-Jen Chen, the food historian, wrote in her book.
—Li Yuan, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2023
The fact that Bolton—an Iraq War architect, radical nationalist and neocon, and former Trump staffer—is calling out Republican 2024 candidates for their meekness speaks volumes.
—Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani, The New Republic, 28 June 2023
Ukrainian nationalists say the events were the result of an ongoing struggle between Poles and Ukrainians at the time.
—Loveday Morris, Washington Post, 12 Aug. 2023
Adjective
But Haitian officials argue that the canal project is not in violation of the treaty, and critics of the closure charge that nationalist politicians in the Dominican Republic are seeking to capitalize on anti-Haitian sentiment to drum up support ahead of next year’s elections.
—Amanda Coletta, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2023
Netanyahu’s government sees the court as an obstacle to its vision of a more conservative, nationalist society.
—Patrick Kingsley, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2023
But opposition groups have questioned the motivation and timing for using Bharat, which appeals to the prime minister’s Hindu nationalist base.
—Sameer Yasir, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023
Some critics see this shift as a result of the bill being hijacked by the factional, and increasingly extreme, politics of the Conservative Party, which has taken on a populist and nationalist tinge since the divisive vote to leave the European Union in 2016.
—Peter Guest, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2023
In fact, until the late 1990s, the Meitei nationalist movement sought independence from India.
—Sushant Singh, Foreign Affairs, 4 Sep. 2023
But an off-hand comment by one of his examiners, about the tricolor ribbon pinned to his lapel — a nationalist symbol in Viktor Orbán’s Hungary — sparks a controversy that soon snowballs into a nationwide scandal.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 2 Sep. 2023
China’s falling prices are a more profound problem than U.S. inflation
Xi’s apparent approach to the moment has been to double down on his hard-line nationalist instincts.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023
The Global Times, a nationalist Communist Party newspaper in China, posted about the map on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter.
—David Pierson, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Sep. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nationalist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing nationalist
Dictionary Entries Near nationalist
Cite this Entry
“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
nationalist
noun
na·tion·al·ist
ˈnash-nəl-əst,
-ən-ᵊl-əst
1
: a supporter of nationalism
2
: a member of a group promoting national independence
nationalist
adjective
nationalistic
adjective
ˌnash-nəl-ˈis-tik
-ən-ᵊl-
More from Merriam-Webster on nationalist
Nglish: Translation of nationalist for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of nationalist for Arabic Speakers
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