nationalist

1 of 2

noun

na·​tion·​al·​ist ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-list How to pronounce nationalist (audio)
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
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

nationalist

2 of 2

adjective

1
: 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
2
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 groups
a 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
Noun
But the bigger story for Canada may be the resurgent Quebec nationalists who want one more shot at a country of their own. Ian Bremmer, TIME, 25 Oct. 2024 The complicity of conservative nationalists in the Nazi takeover of Germany in 1933 offers disturbing parallels to the current American political situation. Christopher R. Browning, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Lawmakers nationwide are attempting to insert their Christian Nationalist views — the false claim that America was founded for white Christians and that our laws must continue to secure their privilege — into our public schools. Rachel Laser, Twin Cities, 27 Oct. 2024 Led by national government chairman Chiang Kai-shek, the remaining nationalist forces fled to Taiwan after the Communists’ victory in 1949. Laura Gersony, The Arizona Republic, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nationalist 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nationalist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1791, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1863, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of nationalist was in 1791

Dictionary Entries Near nationalist

Cite this Entry

“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

nationalist

noun
na·​tion·​al·​ist
ˈnash-nəl-əst,
-ən-ᵊl-əst
1
: a supporter of nationalism
2
: a member of a group promoting national independence
nationalist adjective
nationalistic
ˌnash-nəl-ˈis-tik
-ən-ᵊl-
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on nationalist

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