NATIVIST Synonyms: 23 Similar and Opposite Words

nativist 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of nativist

as in nativistic

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

internationalist

nativist

2 of 2

noun

as in nationalist

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of nativist

Adjective

The tension between the need for new workers and resurgent nativist politics will influence who comes, who settles and who is counted among the ancestors of future generations. — Albert Sun, New York Times, 2 July 2026 Driven by the same nativist and xenophobic ideas, the United States adopted the Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924, which ended mass immigration by introducing national-origin quotas designed to favor Northern and Western Europeans and exclude nonwhite immigrants almost entirely. — M. Gessen, Mercury News, 11 June 2026 Was this restrictive definition not akin to the nativist rhetoric coming from the right? — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 10 June 2026 But Matter scoffed at the idea that the initiative has nativist undertones. — Jessi Jezewska Stevens, New Yorker, 8 June 2026 Today, not only are these conditions under assault by a kleptocratic, nativist US federal government, but the clock seems also to be running out on their own internal contradictions. — Katy Siegel, Artforum, 2 June 2026 At the end of the day, all Calvert and Kim are doing is pandering to the nativist base of their party in hopes of getting another two years over in the Swamp. — Sal Rodriguez, Oc Register, 15 Apr. 2026 Eventually, that nativist turn would take America into a series of constitutional crises and to the edge of some American version of fascism. — Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026 At the latter stages of the transition, aging richer countries now require workers from overseas – but are coming up against a nativist backlash. — John Rennie Short, The Conversation, 31 Mar. 2026

Noun

This undiplomatic tirade went over well in the White House, but marked him as a belligerent nativist abroad and something of an isolationist at home. — Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nativist

Adjective

Africa’s biggest economy has been on a knife edge for months over growing anti-migrant sentiment and xenophobic violence in a society where one in three is unemployed, and municipal services are deteriorating.

— Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 13 July 2026
The group traces the country’s history of xenophobic attacks back to 2008, when 62 people—including 21 South Africans, 11 Mozambicans, 5 Zimbabweans and 3 Somalis—were killed in riots targeting refugees.

— Rebecca Schneid, Time, 1 July 2026

Definition of xenophobic

Noun

The nationalists were members of the Constitutional Convention that met in Philadelphia in the Summer of 1787 to draft the successor to the articles, the United States Constitution.

— Donovan Fifield, Fortune, 19 July 2026
Panelists warned about a future where Christian nationalists subvert democratic systems in order to achieve a larger goal of garnering special power and privilege for Christians.

— Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 18 July 2026

Definition of nationalist

Adjective

The concept of belonging has taken on an even darker shade under the current government’s anti-immigrant and anti-diversity policies that foster violence against anyone who doesn’t fit the right’s ideal of whiteness.

— Carlos Aguilar, IndieWire, 16 July 2026
Nigeria has said two of its citizens were killed in anti-immigrant protests in South Africa, though South African authorities have denied their deaths were linked to the protests.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of anti-immigrant

Noun

There really are chauvinists out there.

— Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2026
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

Definition of chauvinist

Adjective

But so close to the semiquincentennial, there were no American flags, no patriotic symbols on display.

— Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 18 July 2026
People throughout the country flock to download storefronts like iTunes and streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and others to listen to their favorite patriotic cuts.

— Hugh McIntyre, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Definition of patriotic

Browse Nearby Words

nativisms

nativist

nativistic

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Nativist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nativist. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of nativist

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

stalwart

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes