nationalist

1 of 2

noun

na·​tion·​al·​ist ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-list 

plural nationalists

1

: an advocate of or believer in nationalism

2

: a member of a political party or group advocating national independence or strong national government

compare black nationalist, white nationalist

nationalist

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or advocating nationalism

2

: of, relating to, or being a political group advocating or associated with nationalism

Synonyms

Noun

• chauvinist
• flag-waver
• jingo
• superpatriot

Adjective

• chauvinist
• chauvinistic
• jingoist
• jingoistic
• nationalistic
• superpatriotic

Examples of nationalist in a Sentence

Noun

a staunch nationalist who favored any policy that would give the country more power in the international arena

Adjective

The country's Nationalist Party won the election.

most of the articles on the website are nationalist propaganda and not objective by any means

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Left-wing activists set off bombs in the Capitol in 1983 and in 1971; five lawmakers were shot by Puerto Rican nationalists in the House chamber in 1954; a pro-German professor planted a bomb in a Senate reception room in 1915. —Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 19 May 2024

In a marked shift, several countries have voted in anti-immigrant nationalists, including Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, and the Netherlands’ far-right anti-Muslim leader Geert Wilders, who stunned Europeans by winning the parliamentary elections last November. —TIME, 15 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1775, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1884, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nationalist

• anti-nationalist
• black nationalist
• white nationalist

Kids Definition

nationalist

noun

na·​tion·​al·​ist

ˈnash-nəl-əst,

-ən-ᵊl-əst

1

: a supporter of nationalism

2

: a member of a group promoting national independence

nationalist adjective

nationalistic

ˌnash-nəl-ˈis-tik

-ən-ᵊl-

adjective