Synonyms

nationalist

American

[nash-uh-nl-ist, nash-nuh-list] / ˈnæʃ ə nl ɪst, ˈnæʃ nə lɪst /

noun

a person devoted to nationalism.
(initial capital letter) a member of a political group advocating or fighting for national independence, a strong national government, etc.

adjective

Also nationalistic. of, relating to, or promoting nationalism.

the beginnings of a nationalist movement.
(initial capital letter) of, relating to, or noting a political group advocating or fighting for national independence, a strong national government, etc.

Other Word Forms

antinationalist noun
antinationalistic adjective
antinationalistically adverb
hypernationalistic adjective
nationalistically adverb
nonnationalistic adjective
nonnationalistically adverb
pronationalist adjective
pronationalistic adjective
quasi-nationalistic adjective
seminationalistic adjective
unnationalistic adjective
unnationalistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of nationalist

First recorded in 1705–15; national + -ist

Explanation

A nationalist is a person who favors independence for a country. A Scottish nationalist, for example, believes that Scotland should be independent and separate from Great Britain. One kind of nationalist advocates political independence, feeling that her region or state would be better off as a completely separate country from the one that currently controls it. Another sort of nationalist also cares deeply for a country — believing, in fact, that her own country is better than all other countries. This type of nationalist is an extreme patriot, and the term has been around since the 1700s.

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Vocabulary lists containing nationalist

African History - Middle School and High School

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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.

Everyone in Hungary’s democratic resistance, regardless of ideology, united behind Péter Magyar, a charismatic candidate who only left Orbán’s nationalist party two years ago.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

Internationally, he ensured the attention of sympathetic observers by hosting and supporting prominent voices on the emerging nationalist right.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Like many of her fellow volunteers, Hungarian beautician Krisztina Menczel sat idle in the past elections that kept nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban in power.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Gangani is the name of a historic Celtic tribe in Wales, whilst Dal Dy Dir is a Welsh nationalist phrase, which means 'stand your ground'.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2026

We can weave common myths such as the biblical creation story, the Dreamtime myths of Aboriginal Australians, and the nationalist myths of modern states.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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