jingoistic

American  

[jing-goh-is-tik] / ˌdʒɪŋ goʊˈɪs tɪk /

adjective

1. militantly nationalistic or chauvinistic.

   To be against the war in that jingoistic era was considered tantamount to treason.

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Other Word Forms

• jingoist
  noun
• jingoistically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of jingoistic

jingo(ism) ( def. ) + -istic ( def. )

Explanation

If your car sports a bumper sticker that reads, "my country, right or wrong," you might be accused of being jingoistic, or of taking your love for your country way too far. The line between patriotic and jingoistic can sometimes seem vague and confusing. Both adjectives describe a devotion to one's country, but jingoistic implies a fanatical allegiance that goes beyond pride, and often includes aggression toward other countries. The word jingo, "mindless, gung-ho patriot," arose from a popular 1878 song that praised Britain's warlike stance toward Russia at the time, and came into American use in the 1890s during the Spanish-American war.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jingoistic

“I’m more conservative, but I’m not a typical Colonel Blimp,” Munger said in 1996, referring to the jingoistic, reactionary British cartoon character.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2023

In recent years, the party has worked to shed its image as a bastion of jingoistic “Little Englanders” and to attract a more diverse membership.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2023

The tension between that jingoistic narrative of the war and the grim realities of coping with soldiers’ deaths is an especially acute phenomenon in small villages.

From New York Times ● Mar. 26, 2023

This is true, as cultural critic Laurent Dubois notes, even among fans that are not jingoistic or nationalistic in any other environment.

From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2022

It does satisfy the mothers of the land at whose hearth and fireside no jingoistic war has placed an empty chair.

From Woodrow Wilson as I Know Him by Joseph P. Tumulty

Related Words

• loyal
• nationalistic