nationalism

American  

[nash-uh-nl-iz-uhm, nash-nuh-liz-] / ˈnæʃ ə nlˌɪz əm, ˈnæʃ nəˌlɪz- /

noun

1. spirit or aspirations common to the whole of a nation.

   He describes how the intense and unconquerable nationalism of India’s hundreds of millions contributed to the decline of the British empire.

2. devotion and loyalty to one's own country; patriotism.

   The promotion of a healthy nationalism is part of the responsibility of the leaders of a newly independent, diverse nation.

3. excessive patriotism; chauvinism.

   This kind of nationalism, intolerance, or imperialism seems to occur even in the best democracies.

4. the desire for national advancement or political independence.

   A surge in Quebec nationalism led to the formation of the Parti Québécois, which was committed to a political route to Quebec independence.

5. the policy or doctrine of asserting the interests of one's own nation viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or of the international community.

   There’s a struggle between integration and global values on the one hand, and uncompromising nationalism on the other.

6. an idiom or trait peculiar to a nation.

7. a movement, as in the arts, based upon the folk idioms, history, aspirations, etc., of a nation.

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nationalism British  

/ ˈnæʃnə-, ˈnæʃənəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a sentiment based on common cultural characteristics that binds a population and often produces a policy of national independence or separatism

2. loyalty or devotion to one's country; patriotism

3. exaggerated, passionate, or fanatical devotion to a national community See also chauvinism

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nationalism Cultural  

1. The strong belief that the interests of a particular nation-state are of primary importance. Also, the belief that a people who share a common language, history, and culture should constitute an independent nation, free of foreign domination.

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Nationalism is opposed to colonialism and imperialism.

Other Word Forms

• antinationalism noun
• nationalist noun
• nationalistic adjective
• nonnationalism noun
• pronationalism noun
• seminationalism noun

Etymology

Origin of nationalism

First recorded in 1830–40; national ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

By the accession of Leopold II in 1790, an empire based on a “feudal hierarchy of status” found itself in the age of Romantic nationalism, democracy and “enlightened ridicule.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“In China, there is mounting domestic pressure, and some people want to resort to nationalism, to hawkishness, to seek an outcome that deals with that pressure,” said Shen Dingli, a Shanghai-based international relations scholar.

From The Wall Street Journal

Despite its critics, nationalism isn’t always a malevolent force.

From The Wall Street Journal

To this point, Ireland is pretty much the only nation in Western Europe without a significant far-right political party, a fact that reflects the strong historical connection between Irish nationalism and anti-imperialist or anti-colonial ideology.

From Salon

Educated at a local Christian school, he was drawn early to the ideas of revolution and Naga nationalism.

From BBC

Related Words

• fanaticism
• jingoism