nationalist

noun na·tion·al·ist \ ˈnash-nə-list , ˈna-shə-nə-list \

|Updated on: 13 Aug 2018

Examples: nationalist in a Sentence

Definition of nationalist

1 : an advocate of or believer in nationalism

2 : a member of a political party or group advocating national independence or strong national government

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Examples of nationalist in a Sentence

a staunch nationalist who favored any policy that would give the country more power in the international arena

Recent Examples of nationalist from the Web

Since nationalists look selectively to the past in making their case for a different future, the fluctuations of national sentiment are a good starting-point.

— The Economist, "The siren call of separatism," 12 July 2018
The model bill project was conceived by the foundation based in Chesapeake, Va., alongside two partners: WallBuilders, the group headed by Christian nationalist David Barton, and the National Legal Foundation, a Christian public interest law firm.

— yonat shimron, Houston Chronicle, "A campaign to blitz the country with ‘In God We Trust’ laws takes root," 7 July 2018
Some Russian nationalists now herald this Mongol-Turkic state, governed by descendants of Genghis Khan’s oldest son, as the foundation of Russia’s own eternal empire.

— yaroslav trofimov, WSJ, "Russia’s Turn to Its Asian Past," 6 July 2018
These anti-establishment types may be socialists like Greece’s Syriza, centrists like France’s Emmanuel Macron, right-wing nationalists like Trump or the German AfD, or ideologically hard-to-categorize like Italy’s Five Star Movement.

— jonah shepp, Daily Intelligencer, "AMLO Isn’t Mexico’s Trump – Nor Is He Trump’s Natural Enemy," 5 July 2018
Some ultra-nationalists turned out for the latter event.

— vanessa gera, The Seattle Times, "Poles march to denounce government, erosion of democracy," 12 May 2018
Around 60,000 nationalists marched in Warsaw in November to commemorate the anniversary of the country’s independence, and neo-Nazis were among them.

— cristina maza, Newsweek, "Jews Went to the Ghettos of Their Own Free Will to Get Away From Polish People, Father of Poland's Prime Minister Claims," 21 Mar. 2018
Three months after her death, a group of local politicians, Hindu nationalists and legal professionals launched a campaign in support of the eight accused, who are all Hindu.

— sugam pokharel, CNN, "Second teenager allegedly raped and set ablaze within days in India," 7 May 2018
An agreement to provide Taiwan with submarine manufacturing technology and the appointment of hawkish National Security Adviser John Bolton have also hardened views among anti-American nationalists in China.

— christopher bodeen, BostonGlobe.com, "China announces Taiwan Strait live-fire drills amid tensions," 12 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nationalist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of nationalist

1715

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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nationalist Synonyms

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

nationalist

adjective

Definition of nationalist

1 : of, relating to, or advocating nationalism

2 : of, relating to, or being a political group advocating or associated with nationalism

See nationalist defined for English-language learners

Examples of nationalist in a Sentence

The country's Nationalist Party won the election.
a nationalist rant against the immigrants supposedly flooding the country

Recent Examples of nationalist from the Web

The developments added to the stakes of the July 25 vote pitting Mr. Sharif’s pro-business party against a new force in politics here, former cricket star Imran Khan’s nationalist party.

— saeed shah, WSJ, "Deadly Bombings and Ex-Leader’s Arrest Roil Pakistan Before Vote," 13 July 2018
Third was the deadly 2017 white-nationalist rally at Charlottesville, fomented by social media, which shifted the how the companies saw hate speech virtually overnight.

— jessi hempel, WIRED, "Immigration Fight Shows Silicon Valley Must Stop Feigning Neutrality," 8 July 2018
In Europe, nations like Poland and Hungary, which tore themselves free from behind the Iron Curtain, have been captured anew by nationalist and right-wing governments.

— jonathan bradley, Billboard, "Dream Up the World You're Gonna Live In: How U2's 'Zooropa' Got the Future Wrong, 25 Years Later," 5 July 2018
Even though the number of migrants arriving in Europe is sharply down this year from 2017, migration issues have deepened political divisions in the European Union, fueled in part by the demands of anti-migrant nationalist parties.

— renata brito and frances d'emilio, chicagotribune.com, "Fear turns to joy as rescue boat saves 60 in Mediterranean Sea," 30 June 2018
Austria is currently controlled by a coalition of the center-right Austrian People’s Party and the far-right, nationalist Freedom Party.

— tara isabella burton, Vox, "Austria is closing 7 mosques and kicking out 60 imams," 8 June 2018
Austria is remaking its public media through financial cuts and attacks on outlets that criticize the new nationalist government.

— melissa hooper, The New Republic, "A Humble Proposal to Sanction Some Hungarian Kleptocrats," 4 Apr. 2018
Keep in mind that the main reason Bannon attached himself to Trump was to advance his nationalist vision for America.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "What Could Bob Mueller Want From Steve Bannon?," 20 Jan. 2018
The patriarchal approach is enthusiastically endorsed by the politically dominant Hindu nationalist movement, spearheaded by Narendra Modi, the prime minister.

— The Economist, "Culture and the labour market keep India’s women at home," 5 July 2018