nationalist

1 of 2

noun

na·​tion·​al·​ist ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-list 

plural nationalists

: an advocate of or believer in nationalism: such as

a

: a member of a political party or group advocating a government that is strongly committed to nationalism (see nationalism sense 1)

Nationalists in the United States and elsewhere advocate wide-ranging government control of the economy, most notably in the form of industrial policy, protectionism, and immigration restrictionism.

—Alex Nowrasteh and Ilya Somin

b

: a member of a political party or group advocating national independence

An independent Wales, nationalists point out, would still be larger than 39 other self-sufficient nations …

—Peter Stuart

nationalist

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or advocating nationalism

nationalist beliefs/ideologies/sentiments

After independence, nationalist fervor rejected compulsory English instruction in favor of the national language, Pilipino, which is based on Tagalog, a tongue spoken by the population around Manila.

—Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester

2

sometimes Nationalist : of or constituting a political group or party advocating or associated with nationalism

the group's nationalist agenda

… the strength of the Nationalist vote greatly inhibits the possibility of a majority Labour government …

—Brian Wilson

—often used in the capitalized names of specific groups

a member of the Irish Nationalist Party

Synonyms of nationalist

Noun

• patriot
• chauvinist

Adjective

• nationalistic
• patriotic

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

Noun

But Jewish religious nationalists, particularly uneducated young men, remain a threat, said John Munayer of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, an interreligious organization in Jerusalem. — ABC News, 14 Aug. 2026

The fact that Israel’s current leadership apparently feels more solidarity with European nationalists than with the Continent’s political establishment is a strange irony of the moment. — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026

Adjective

The latest political salvo came earlier this month, when the nationalist Rodina party filed a lawsuit with Russia’s Supreme Court to disqualify the Yabloko faction from eligibility in the political contest. — Ilan Berman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Netanyahu’s government, the most nationalist and religious in Israel’s history, has boasted of establishing over 100 new settlements. — Joseph Krauss, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1791, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing nationalist

• anti-nationalist
• black nationalist
• Christian nationalist
• white nationalist

Rhymes for nationalist

• rationalist
• internationalist

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

ˌnash-nəl-ˈis-tik, 

-ən-ᵊl-

adjective