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
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
David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
But Hisahito’s birth quickly changed the tide and nationalists turned against the proposal.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Whipping up nationalist sentiment is a common practice for politicians who know that territorial disputes remain a sore spot for Colombians.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
On the left were environmentalists who wanted to leave carbon in the ground; on the right, MAGA nationalists who were dismantling wind farms and carrying out mass deportations.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 8 Sep. 2025
But Hisahito’s birth quickly changed the tide and nationalists turned against the proposal.
—Mari Yamaguchi, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Neither a Muslim majority democratic government nor a more hard-line nationalist variant in Iran would sit well with nearby Gulf monarchs.
—David Mednicoff, The Conversation, 9 Sep. 2025
Whipping up nationalist sentiment is a common practice for politicians who know that territorial disputes remain a sore spot for Colombians.
—John Otis, NPR, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
Cite this Entry
“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share