1
as in patriotic
having or showing love and support for one's country
a nationalistic display of the country's flag at all civic events
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nationalist
having or showing excessive favoritism towards one's own country
a nationalistic economic policy that raises up enormous barriers against the importation of goods from other countries
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of nationalistic
After the war, many Iranians hoped things would change and that the government would leverage the nationalistic rally around the flag to introduce a more tenable social contract with the populace.
—
Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
The AfD’s views on defense spending are deeply rooted in a nationalistic conception of German military power outside of constraining institutions such as the EU and NATO.
—Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
Throughout those two years of production, making the film became increasingly risky, as the Russian government cracked down on any heresy against its nationalistic agenda.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
That case deeply divided the nation, with nationalistic politicians defending the soldier.
—NPR, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalistic
Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
The AfD’s views on defense spending are deeply rooted in a nationalistic conception of German military power outside of constraining institutions such as the EU and NATO.
—Sudha David-Wilp, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2025
Throughout those two years of production, making the film became increasingly risky, as the Russian government cracked down on any heresy against its nationalistic agenda.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 9 Dec. 2025
That case deeply divided the nation, with nationalistic politicians defending the soldier.
—NPR, 28 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nationalistic
Adjective
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Observed on the third Monday of February each year, the special day is celebrated through patriotic parades, historical reenactments, and readings of major presidential speeches, including Washington’s Farewell Address.—
Tiago Ventura,
Time,
14 Feb. 2026
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Such nuance appears to have violated the more patriotic version of history that the government seeks to instill.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Compared with a decade ago, nationalist sentiment has less influence on consumer behavior, analysts said.—
Chan Ho-Him,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
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Japan has recently seen far-right populists gain ground, such as the anti-globalist and surging nationalist party Sanseito.—
MARI YAMAGUCHI,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nationalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nationalistic. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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