nativism

noun

na·​tiv·​ism ˈnā-ti-ˌvi-zəm How to pronounce nativism (audio)
1
: a policy of favoring native inhabitants as opposed to immigrants
2
: the revival or perpetuation of an indigenous culture especially in opposition to acculturation
nativist noun or adjective
nativistic adjective

Examples of nativism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web They are related: each moment suggests an America of testosterone and bluster, of xenophobia and nativism, of my way or the highway. TIME, 9 Jan. 2024 Hilda and Lindy were each children of Jewish immigrants; their parents had fled the poverty and persecution of their Eastern European homelands during the 1920s, a period when antisemitism and nativism led the United States to curtail immigration from the region. Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Dec. 2023 Many African writers accused him of cynicism or even self-hatred, though later generations would praise him for asserting literature’s independence from nativism. Julian Lucas, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 Here was a grass-roots movement that was demanding not egalitarianism, but nativism; not solidarity, but discord. Jennifer Szalai, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023 As the narrative nears recent years, Hemmer’s account and Milbank’s converge in a similar retelling of the anger, grievance, nativism, anti-elitism, and conspiracy that Trump recognized and exploited. Nicole Hemmer, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2022 In 2016, Trump successfully tapped into nativism, nationalism, economic disenchantment, and alienation from organized politics—all phenomena which were (and are) deeply rooted in American society. John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023 How to assess his legacy now that his warnings against isolationism, nativism and protectionism are no longer heeded by most of his fellow conservatives? Geoffrey Kabaservice, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023 There is nothing to address the nation’s viral playacting, the elitist posturing of the left and the nativism of the right. Joe Klein, Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nativism.' 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

1844, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nativism was in 1844

Dictionary Entries Near nativism

Cite this Entry

“Nativism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nativism. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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