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
Benjamin Hale
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
There is a huge difference between a devout Christian nationalist, which Boelter is, and a devout Christian — those who follow the way of Jesus.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Ian Bremmer, Time, 11 July 2025
The Iranian nationalist movement of the early 1950s was united in wanting to take Iran’s oil wealth from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, whose biggest shareholder was the British state.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
His soul fretted in the shadow of his oppressor’s language, but the fiercely patriotic Irish nationalist—the citizen—is no hero either.
—Benjamin Hale
june 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
There is a huge difference between a devout Christian nationalist, which Boelter is, and a devout Christian — those who follow the way of Jesus.
—Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025
Adjective
In the European Council, just four of 27 members (Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, and the Czech Republic) are led by nationalist governments.
—Ian Bremmer, Time, 11 July 2025
The Iranian nationalist movement of the early 1950s was united in wanting to take Iran’s oil wealth from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, whose biggest shareholder was the British state.
—Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 9 July 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 19 Jul. 2025.
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