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
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
Peter Stuart1
: 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
Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester2
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 groupsBrian Wilsona member of the Irish Nationalist Party
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
Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The nationalist’s election defeat is extending a historic rally in Hungary’s bond market as Magyar dangles the prospect of euro adoption.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Rob Schmitz, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
The public discourse comes at a time when Meloni was facing scrutiny over her public support for the nationalist former leader of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, during his reelection campaign.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
Many Christian nationalists believe in erasing the boundaries between church and state, Andrew Whitehead, a professor of sociology at Indiana University Indianapolis, previously told USA TODAY.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026
The nationalist’s election defeat is extending a historic rally in Hungary’s bond market as Magyar dangles the prospect of euro adoption.
—Jonathan Tirone, Bloomberg, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
Critics say Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is hostile to Muslims in particular and borrows from the organization's Hindu nationalist ideology.
—Rob Schmitz, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
The public discourse comes at a time when Meloni was facing scrutiny over her public support for the nationalist former leader of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, during his reelection campaign.
—Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
Cite this Entry
“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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