as in patriots
one who shows excessive favoritism towards his or her country
a staunch nationalist who favored any policy that would give the country more power in the international arena
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Recent Examples of nationalists
Nossiter said Guinea is also sensitive to the possibility that the pilots’ case could get amplified publicly by anti-Western nationalists in the country who might frame it as a sovereignty violation at a moment when Conakry is already wary of internal dissent.
—
Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The Treaty of Trianon looms large in the imagination of Hungarian nationalists.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
Among the participants were socialists, ex-royalists, liberals, feminists, and nationalists.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
Encouraged and aided by independent neighbours, Guinean nationalists took up arms in 1962 and after 10 years of fighting expelled the Portuguese from three-quarters of Portuguese Guinea.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Two of its most high-profile residents have been described as Christian nationalists in local media.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
From late Qing reformers inspired by Athenian citizenship to nationalists who draw on Plato to bolster China’s political ideology, Bartsch shows how supple ancient texts are in the hands of interpreters.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
For one, Pashtun nationalists will always have problems with a border that slices their heartland in two.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
The protesters included secular left-wingers and nationalists as well as Islamists, but Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a fundamentalist cleric at that time exiled in France, emerged as the movement's undisputed figurehead.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 8 Mar. 2026
Adrian Elimian, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026
The Treaty of Trianon looms large in the imagination of Hungarian nationalists.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 12 Apr. 2026
Among the participants were socialists, ex-royalists, liberals, feminists, and nationalists.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2026
Encouraged and aided by independent neighbours, Guinean nationalists took up arms in 1962 and after 10 years of fighting expelled the Portuguese from three-quarters of Portuguese Guinea.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Two of its most high-profile residents have been described as Christian nationalists in local media.
—Bracey Harris, NBC news, 28 Mar. 2026
From late Qing reformers inspired by Athenian citizenship to nationalists who draw on Plato to bolster China’s political ideology, Bartsch shows how supple ancient texts are in the hands of interpreters.
—Chang Che, New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2026
For one, Pashtun nationalists will always have problems with a border that slices their heartland in two.
—Mihir Sharma, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026
The protesters included secular left-wingers and nationalists as well as Islamists, but Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a fundamentalist cleric at that time exiled in France, emerged as the movement's undisputed figurehead.
—The Week Uk, TheWeek, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nationalists
Noun
-
The group — which included veteran of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard — are also all descendants of patriots of the American Revolution.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The tools and strategies that are being used on good White protestors, undocumented children, transgender patriots, Democrats, and Republicans who fight against their party’s leader have been practiced on Black folks across American history.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Sacco knows better than most that political chauvinists of all kinds can point to past moments of injury and humiliation to justify any current cruelty or authoritarian project—an especially powerful appeal when those historical injustices are real.—
Robert Rubsam,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Magyar called on Fidesz loyalists in key state positions, including the president, to step down or face expulsion by his parliamentary supermajority.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The now former Hungarian leader has been widely criticized for dismantling or impairing many democratic institutions including the Constitution, law courts and the media, and packing influential committees with loyalists.—
Patrick Smith,
NBC news,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nationalists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nationalists. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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