nationalist

American  

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

noun

nationalists plural

1. a person devoted to nationalism.

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

---

adjective

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

   the beginnings of a nationalist movement.

2. (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

Derived Forms

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

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nationalists
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nationalist nationalists

Hungarian prosecutors on Tuesday raided the data servers of nationalist ex-leader Viktor Orban's Fidesz party as part of an investigation into alleged corruption.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Even odder is that many of the composers did not necessarily feel compelled to explore nationalist themes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026

Vladimir Kucherenko, a Russian nationalist YouTuber who uses the pseudonym Maxim Kalashnikov, wrote on social media Thursday that Moscow police had summoned him for questioning after he posted a video of the initial refinery attack.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

HMS Amethyst was caught up in fighting between nationalist and communist forces on the River Yangtze in April 1949.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

He was a longtime Afrikaner nationalist, and an outspoken supporter of the Nazi cause; he once described Hider as the “greatest man of his age.”

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

German nationalists have never fully forgiven America for World War II. Nor for the cultural competition, from hamburgers’ supplanting bratwurst to the omnipresence of American films and music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

But Madrid's imposing Victory Arch, built in the 1950s on a busy roundabout to celebrate the victory of Franco's fascist-backed nationalists in the 1936-1939 civil war, is a standout example of the symbols that linger.

From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026

"They were hoping she would draw nationalists back from Sanseito."

From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026

He does not look to be an isolated internet obsessive with overt ties to white nationalists.

From Slate ● Jan. 22, 2026

Black nationalists such as Stokely Carmichael worked to purge longtime white activists from CORE’s leadership.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• superpatriot