protectionist

noun

pro·​tec·​tion·​ist prə-ˈtek-sh(ə-)nist 

: an advocate of government economic protection for domestic producers through restrictions on foreign competitors

protectionism

prə-ˈtek-shə-ˌni-zəm 

noun

protectionist adjective

Examples of protectionist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

President Donald Trump issued a July 30 executive order to close the de minimis exemption, a customs tax rule that has allowed millions of cheap shipments everyday to flow into the U.S., for all countries, effective Aug. 29, as part of his broader protectionist trade campaign. —Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 27 Aug. 2025

Some lawyers argue convincingly that the rules are outdated and protectionist. —Jeff Kauflin, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025

But the first protectionist whom the economist, who runs a widely read blog, ever knew was his own father. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2025

Empires—both liberal and communist—dominated huge swaths of the globe, pervasive poverty and inequality belied the promise of economic prosperity for all, and protectionist carve-outs were built into the emerging trading regime. —Stacie E. Goddard, Foreign Affairs, 28 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for protectionist

• connectionist
• perfectionist
• projectionist