nationalist

American  

[nash-uh-nl-ist, nash-nuh-list] / ˈnæʃ ə nl ɪst, ˈnæʃ nə lɪst /

noun

• nationalists
  plural

1. a person devoted to nationalism.

2. (initial capital letter) a member of a political group advocating or fighting for national independence, a strong national government, etc.

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adjective

1. Also nationalistic. of, relating to, or promoting nationalism.

   the beginnings of a nationalist movement.

2. (initial capital letter) of, relating to, or noting a political group advocating or fighting for national independence, a strong national government, etc.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antinationalist
  noun
• antinationalistic
  adjective
• hypernationalistic
  adjective
• nonnationalistic
  adjective
• pronationalist
  adjective
• pronationalistic
  adjective
• quasi-nationalistic
  adjective
• seminationalistic
  adjective
• unnationalistic
  adjective
• antinationalistically
  adverb
• nationalistically
  adverb
• nonnationalistically
  adverb
• unnationalistically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nationalists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of nationalist

First recorded in 1705–15; national + -ist

Explanation

A nationalist is a person who favors independence for a country. A Scottish nationalist, for example, believes that Scotland should be independent and separate from Great Britain. One kind of nationalist advocates political independence, feeling that her region or state would be better off as a completely separate country from the one that currently controls it. Another sort of nationalist also cares deeply for a country — believing, in fact, that her own country is better than all other countries. This type of nationalist is an extreme patriot, and the term has been around since the 1700s.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nationalist nationalists

Bonfires on 15 August are traditional in some nationalist parts of Northern Ireland.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Lululemon didn’t help itself when it mistakenly brought out Japanese drums at a brand event in May at the Great Wall of China, triggering a wave of nationalist anger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Hungarian prosecutors on Tuesday raided the data servers of nationalist ex-leader Viktor Orban's Fidesz party as part of an investigation into alleged corruption.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Even odder is that many of the composers did not necessarily feel compelled to explore nationalist themes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

This was the first definitive film stock collection of the life of Malcolm X and it traveled extensively throughout the nation’s university circuit as well as to civil rights and Afro-American nationalist events.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

Shanghai was more than a challenge to communism, it was a puzzle for Chinese nationalists because its unique strength—its economic power—was born directly from China’s weakness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

And on the social media front, Chinese online nationalists have launched attacks on Takaichi, including sharing AI-generated videos showing pop culture figure Ultraman and anime character Detective Conan fighting the prime minister.

From BBC ● Feb. 16, 2026

But Madrid's imposing Victory Arch, built in the 1950s on a busy roundabout to celebrate the victory of Franco's fascist-backed nationalists in the 1936-1939 civil war, is a standout example of the symbols that linger.

From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026

He does not look to be an isolated internet obsessive with overt ties to white nationalists.

From Slate ● Jan. 22, 2026

I told them I was a South African nationalist, not a Communist, that nationalists came in every hue and color, and that I was firmly committed to a nonracial society.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• superpatriot