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
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Leading up to it, mass anti-government demonstrations against the Shah drew different factions seeking change— including leftists, students, clerics, nationalists and minorities, among others.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Dec. 2025
One of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination for governor in 2022, Doug Mastriano, was a far-right state senator who often invoked Christian-nationalist themes and who had been videotaped walking through barriers at the Capitol on January 6th.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
Christian nationalists often argue that America cannot survive as a multicultural, multi-religious nation.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 5 Dec. 2025
Leading up to it, mass anti-government demonstrations against the Shah drew different factions seeking change— including leftists, students, clerics, nationalists and minorities, among others.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
Those critics say the project mirrors the ideology of the ruling Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that has been accused of Islamophobia and stoking tensions between the different faiths that coexist in the world’s largest democracy.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Dec. 2025
One of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination for governor in 2022, Doug Mastriano, was a far-right state senator who often invoked Christian-nationalist themes and who had been videotaped walking through barriers at the Capitol on January 6th.
—Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 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 10 Dec. 2025.
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