nationalist
Americannoun
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a person devoted to nationalism.
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(initial capital letter) a member of a political group advocating or fighting for national independence, a strong national government, etc.
adjective
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Also nationalistic. of, relating to, or promoting nationalism.
the beginnings of a nationalist movement.
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(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
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antinationalistnoun
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antinationalisticadjective
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antinationalisticallyadverb
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hypernationalisticadjective
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nationalisticallyadverb
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nonnationalisticadjective
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nonnationalisticallyadverb
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pronationalistadjective
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pronationalisticadjective
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quasi-nationalisticadjective
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seminationalisticadjective
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unnationalisticadjective
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unnationalisticallyadverb
Etymology
Origin of nationalist
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.
Vocabulary lists containing nationalist
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.
The Conservatives also wore a white rose - though it was not linked to the nationalist poet.
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Natalia Kravtsova's son, Artem, a fighter with Ukraine's nationalist Azov brigade, was taken prisoner in Mariupol in May 2022.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
The bête noire of that nationalist wing is Russia’s former defense minister and current National Security Council chief Sergei Shoigu, a onetime Putin confidant blamed for mishandling the initial stages of the war.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026
He described himself on X as a nationalist running as a Republican.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Marius Wyxzewixard Challouehliczilczese Grimes had been named after an Ethiopian nationalist, a contemporary of Fard Muhammad, in fact, back in the thirties.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
