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
Randall Balmer, Twin Cities, 23 July 2025
As denialism spreads, Serb nationalists have grown more defiant.
—David Rohde, NBC news, 21 July 2025
Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
On this day in 1914: Austria-Hungary issued a series of ultimatums to Serbia that included allowing Austria-Hungary to investigate who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, and demanded that Serbia cease all anti-Austrian propaganda and dissolve its nationalist organizations.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
Public education, one of the cornerstones of democracy, is itself on the line, as religious nationalists support the diversion of taxpayer funds to provide vouchers for religious schools.
—Randall Balmer, Twin Cities, 23 July 2025
As denialism spreads, Serb nationalists have grown more defiant.
—David Rohde, NBC news, 21 July 2025
Adjective
Christian Persecution in India In recent years, India has witnessed a marked escalation in the persecution of its Christian population, driven in large part by the rise of Hindu nationalist ideology and the spread of anti-conversion laws across several states.
—Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
On this day in 1914: Austria-Hungary issued a series of ultimatums to Serbia that included allowing Austria-Hungary to investigate who assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, and demanded that Serbia cease all anti-Austrian propaganda and dissolve its nationalist organizations.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 24 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 1 Aug. 2025.
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