irredentist
[ir-i-den-tist]
- (usually initial capital letter) a member of an Italian association that became prominent in 1878, advocating the redemption, or the incorporation into Italy, of certain neighboring regions (Italia irredenta) having a primarily Italian population.
- a member of a party in any country advocating the acquisition of some region included in another country by reason of cultural, historical, ethnic, racial, or other ties.
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- pertaining to or supporting such a party or its doctrine.
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Origin of irredentist
1880–85; < Italian irredentista, equivalent to (Italia) irredent(a) (Italy) unredeemed (feminine of irredento, equivalent to ir- ir-2 + redento < Latin redemptus; see redemption) + -ista -ist
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
irredentist
- a person who favours the acquisition of territory that once was part of his country or is considered to have been
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- of, relating to, or advocating this belief
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Word Origin
C19: from Italian irredentista, from the phrase Italia irredenta, literally: Italy unredeemed, from ir- in- 1 + redento redeemed, from Latin redemptus bought back; see redeem
Irredentist
- (sometimes not capital) a member of an Italian association prominent in 1878 that sought to recover for Italy certain neighbouring regions (Italia irredenta) with a predominantly Italian population that were under foreign control
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for irredentist
n.
1882, member of Italian political party which (after 1878) demanded the annexation of neighboring Italian-speaking regions (Trieste, S. Tyrol, Nice, Corsica, etc.), from Italian Irredentista, from (Italia) irredenta "unredeemed (Italy)." Related: Irredentism.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper