unionist

noun union·ist \ ˈyün-yə-nist \

|Updated on: 29 Jun 2018

Definition of unionist

: an advocate or supporter of union or unionism

See unionist defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of unionist from the Web

Yet the government’s reliance on unionist votes makes this tail hard to ignore.

— The Economist, "Britain is heading for a soft Brexit," 16 June 2018
Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Salvini, did not utter a word of condemnation of the murder of Soumaila Sacko, a 29-year-old Malian trade unionist, on June 2nd.

— The Economist, "Italy’s new government wants to deport 500,000 people," 7 June 2018
These councils allow nationalists and unionists to ensure connections to Ireland and the U.K., respectively.

— Washington Post, "How Brexit could kill Northern Ireland’s peace accords," 20 Apr. 2018
Most people continue to live, go to school, and socialize with those of their same religion and/or national allegiance: Protestant unionists and Catholic nationalists remain a people largely apart.

— kevin cullen, BostonGlobe.com, "Irish hopes may be stopped at the border," 8 Apr. 2018
Most unionists support it, for exactly the same reason.

— The Economist, "A little more conversationNorthern Ireland notches up a year without a government," 23 Jan. 2018
There was no public transportation in the capital as workers walked off the job and unionists threatened to call more strikes in the coming weeks.

— niki kitsantonis, New York Times, "Greece Adopts New Austerity Measures to Placate Creditors," 15 Jan. 2018
Politicians, churchgoers and Brooks' family members filled the pews inside Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church to remember the 44-year-old trade unionist killed Feb. 27, 1948 while waiting to board a bus at Gretna Ferry Landing.

— hanna krueger, NOLA.com, "Harvey church honors black man killed by police in Gretna 70 years ago," 28 Apr. 2018
The way most people still live in neighborhoods which are either predominantly Catholic and nationalist or Protestant and unionist.

— kevin cullen, BostonGlobe.com, "Irish hopes may be stopped at the border," 8 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unionist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unionist

1722

in the meaning defined above

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UNIONIST Defined for English Language Learners

unionist

noun

Definition of unionist for English Language Learners

: someone who supports labor unions
Unionist : a supporter of the Union (sense 4b) during the American Civil War
Unionist : a person who believes that Northern Ireland should remain a part of the United Kingdom