na·tiv·ism
ˈnā-ti-ˌvi-zəm 
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
plural -s
: one who believes in or advocates nativism
a bigoted nativist who published feverish anti-immigration and anti-Catholic tracts—
Marshall Davidson
Marshall Davidson"
1
: of, having the characteristics of, or supporting political nativism
the die-hard Know-Nothings … were both nativist and proslavery—M. M. Hunt
M. M. Huntold nativist prejudice against the … foreign businessman—Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican
Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican2
: of, relating to, or composed of nativists
nativist rural audiences in the south—W. G. Carleton
W. G. CarletonExamples of nativism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Nevertheless, in national politics, the Party acts as a clearing house for Switzerland’s most extreme expressions of nativism.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Their decades-long obsession with immigration and hot-button social issues comes off as — and sometimes is — ugly nativism.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
The show gestures at the classic targets of old-timey sexism, small-mindedness, and nativism—much of it embodied by Gasteyer’s scheming character—but only in the safest possible ways.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nativism
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Noun
At the same time, the resolution calls for humane immigration policies that uphold justice and mercy, strongly rejecting nativism, discrimination and racial or ethnic hostility.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Nevertheless, in national politics, the Party acts as a clearing house for Switzerland’s most extreme expressions of nativism.
—Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026
Their decades-long obsession with immigration and hot-button social issues comes off as — and sometimes is — ugly nativism.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 May 2026
The show gestures at the classic targets of old-timey sexism, small-mindedness, and nativism—much of it embodied by Gasteyer’s scheming character—but only in the safest possible ways.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for nativism
Cite this Entry
“Nativism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nativism. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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