economic nationalism

American

[ek-uh-nom-ik nash-uh-nl-iz-uhm, nash-nuh-liz-, ee-kuh-] / ˈɛk əˌnɒm ɪk ˈnæʃ ə nlˌɪz əm, ˈnæʃ nəˌlɪz-, ˈi kə- /

noun

a protectionist ideology that prioritizes national self-sufficiency and security, typically advocating tariffs and other legislation to resist foreign investment and ensure that international trade results in a trade surplus and military advantage.

Etymology

Origin of economic nationalism

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The upshot is that economic nationalism is misdirected.

From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026

There is an amount of economic nationalism here.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2021

Though prosecutors do not explicitly name Bannon's nonprofit in the indictment, the document describes "Non-Profit-1" as predating the crowdfunding campaign and being dedicated to promoting "economic nationalism and American sovereignty."

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2020

Rising economic nationalism was already chipping away at globalization before the first patients in Wuhan, China, began to fall ill in December.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 27, 2020

Close economic nationalism is not for them a possibility.

From Morals of Economic Internationalism by Hobson, J. A. (John Atkinson)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023