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
Lisa Riordan Seville, ProPublica, 17 Oct. 2025
Shikaki, who has been tracking Palestinian public opinion for decades, said Barghouti is by far the most popular Palestinian leader and the only secular nationalist capable of winning elections.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
The Nazi regime urged pastors to join a nationalist Reich Church more loyal to Adolf Hitler than to God.
—Rev. Nathan Empsall, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
Over the past decade, this unassuming budget wonk and self-proclaimed Christian nationalist has quietly injected his ideas into the bloodstream of American politics.
—Lisa Riordan Seville, ProPublica, 17 Oct. 2025
Shikaki, who has been tracking Palestinian public opinion for decades, said Barghouti is by far the most popular Palestinian leader and the only secular nationalist capable of winning elections.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Her nationalist positions could heighten friction with China, while her expansive spending plans for the world’s fourth-largest economy will be closely watched by international investors.
—Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 21 Oct. 2025
The Nazi regime urged pastors to join a nationalist Reich Church more loyal to Adolf Hitler than to God.
—Rev. Nathan Empsall, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 2025.
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