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.

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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

Lululemon didn’t help itself when it mistakenly brought out Japanese drums at a brand event in May at the Great Wall of China, triggering a wave of nationalist anger.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

For one thing, the two represent different sensibilities within the nationalist camp.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

The post was also shared by a page with more than two million followers that frequently publishes pro-military and nationalist commentary.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 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

I was first and foremost an African nationalist fighting for our emancipation from minority rule and the right to control our own destiny.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

To be sure, across the British Empire, the hunger strike emerged as a shared language of democratic, anti-colonial resistance - embraced by suffragettes in Britain and nationalists in Ireland and India.

From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2026

But some outspoken nationalists in Israel feel that momentum is with them.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

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

The group consisted mainly of ex-Communists turned extreme African nationalists.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• superpatriot