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
Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Though the Cuban nationalists’ victory was all but assured, the United States entered the fray and swiftly imposed a military occupation over the island.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
And in an increasingly nationalist China, there have also been examples of social media backlash against scientists perceived a pro-American, or who were born in China, made their careers abroad and then returned.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
Sanae Takaichi, the pro-stimulus conservative poised to become Japan’s first female prime minister, is an energetic nationalist with a soft spot for the hard-nosed politics of Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher and the heavy metal music of Iron Maiden.
—Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
Though the Cuban nationalists’ victory was all but assured, the United States entered the fray and swiftly imposed a military occupation over the island.
—Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Meanwhile, parties espousing nationalist rhetoric are on the rise across Europe, with right-wing nationalist movements counting historic electoral turnouts in a number of nations.
—Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
And in an increasingly nationalist China, there have also been examples of social media backlash against scientists perceived a pro-American, or who were born in China, made their careers abroad and then returned.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 29 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 8 Oct. 2025.
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