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
Solcyré Burga, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
But since then, Dodik has refashioned himself as an unrepentant nationalist, denying the genocide of 8,000 Bosniaks at Srebrenica in 1995, the war’s most notorious massacre, and often meeting with Putin in Moscow.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
Robin Epley, Mercury News, 19 July 2025
This includes Buddhist leaders of various sects, prominent politicians from India's ruling Hindu nationalist party and longtime devotees like actor Richard Gere.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Call for return of Alaska to Russia Some Russian nationalists, including politicians, have called for the U.S. to give Alaska back to Russia.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
But since then, Dodik has refashioned himself as an unrepentant nationalist, denying the genocide of 8,000 Bosniaks at Srebrenica in 1995, the war’s most notorious massacre, and often meeting with Putin in Moscow.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
In the early 2000s, the nationalist Alaskan Independence Party got an initiative on the ballot there, proposing secession.
—Robin Epley, Mercury News, 19 July 2025
This includes Buddhist leaders of various sects, prominent politicians from India's ruling Hindu nationalist party and longtime devotees like actor Richard Gere.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 2 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 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share