nativism

[ney-ti-viz-uh m]

noun

the policy of protecting the interests of native inhabitants against those of immigrants.
the policy or practice of preserving or reviving an indigenous culture.
Philosophy. the doctrine that innate ideas exist.

innateness hypothesis.

Origin of nativism

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; native + -ism

Related formsna·tiv·ist, noun, adjectivena·tiv·is·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for nativism

Contemporary Examples of nativism

While American nativism and anti-Semitism declined after World War II, so did the overt Jewishness of Superman.
Superman Is Jewish: The Hebrew Roots of America's Greatest Superhero
Rich Goldstein
August 16, 2014
But last I checked, neither Jean-Marie Le Pen, Filip Dewinter nor Joe Arpaio learned their nativism from reading Jabotinsky.
Sound of Silence
Peter Beinart
May 24, 2012

Historical Examples of nativism

When the fight with nativism was over, the Irish were in possession of the cities.
Our Foreigners
Samuel P. Orth
The Old West raised the issues of nativism and a lower standard of comfort.
The Frontier in American History
Frederick Jackson Turner
Its only real contribution to government was the proof that nativism is not Americanism.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 8
Various

British Dictionary definitions for nativism

nativism

noun

mainly US the policy of favouring the natives of a country over the immigrants
anthropol the policy of protecting and reaffirming native tribal cultures in reaction to acculturation
the doctrine that the mind and its capacities are innately structured and that much knowledge is innate

Derived Formsnativist, noun, adjectivenativistic, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nativism

U.S. anti-immigrant movement, 1845, from native (adj.) + -ism. Later used in other contexts. Related: Nativist.