nationalism

[nash-uh-nl-iz-uhm, nash-nuh-liz-]

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.

nationalism

/ 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

nationalism

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.

Nationalism is opposed to colonialism and imperialism.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nationalism¹

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

Example Sentences

Ghastly homages to white supremacy, often suffused with the anti-democratic demands of Christian nationalism, have been on the treacherous rise for a decade.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The party's frustration is obvious, and it goes beyond its anger at the party political name-calling that saw the Ulster Unionists describe the Alliance last week as "divided, desperate and drifting towards nationalism".

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A final theme emerges here as well: the tension between nationalism and globalism, independence and interdependence.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“The patriotism that’s in the film doesn’t have a sense of nationalism about the country,” he says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Bishop of Birmingham Michael Volland said he felt they "had the potential to generate anxiety and stir up division" and "feed into a harmful narrative that provides fuel for a fire of toxic nationalism".

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• fanaticism 
• jingoism