na·tion·al·ist
ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-list 
plural nationalists
: an advocate of or believer in nationalism: such as
a
: a member of a political party or group advocating a government that is strongly committed to nationalism (see nationalism sense 1)
Nationalists in the United States and elsewhere advocate wide-ranging government control of the economy, most notably in the form of industrial policy, protectionism, and immigration restrictionism.—
Alex Nowrasteh and Ilya Somin
Alex Nowrasteh and Ilya Somin
b
: a member of a political party or group advocating national independence
An independent Wales, nationalists point out, would still be larger than 39 other self-sufficient nations …—Peter Stuart
Peter Stuart1
: of, relating to, or advocating nationalism
After independence, nationalist fervor rejected compulsory English instruction in favor of the national language, Pilipino, which is based on Tagalog, a tongue spoken by the population around Manila.—Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester
Edwin Kiester, Jr. and Sally Valente Kiester2
sometimes Nationalist
: of or constituting a political group or party advocating or associated with nationalism
the group's nationalist agenda
… the strength of the Nationalist vote greatly inhibits the possibility of a majority Labour government …—Brian Wilson
—often used in the capitalized names of specific groupsBrian Wilsona member of the Irish Nationalist Party
Examples of nationalist in a Sentence
Noun
a staunch nationalist who favored any policy that would give the country more power in the international arena
Adjective
The country's Nationalist Party won the election.
most of the articles on the website are nationalist propaganda and not objective by any means
Recent Examples on the Web
Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Orban, a right-wing nationalist, has often been at odds with the EU over democratic standards and human rights in Hungary.
—Reuters, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025
Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
Since October, Turkish authorities have detained or imprisoned dozens of opposition figures, including the nationalist Victory Party’s leader, prominent journalists, business leaders and even the CHP’s youth branch president.
—Bilal Bilici, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
In 1914, the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian empire in Sarajevo by a Serbian nationalist sparked general mobilization in Europe..
—Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Orban, a right-wing nationalist, has often been at odds with the EU over democratic standards and human rights in Hungary.
—Reuters, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
About forty per cent of the graduates of the Army’s infantry officer schools, Peri notes, come from the dati leumi, or nationalist Orthodox minority, many of them extremist yeshiva students and supporters of settlements.
—Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 28 Mar. 2025
Since October, Turkish authorities have detained or imprisoned dozens of opposition figures, including the nationalist Victory Party’s leader, prominent journalists, business leaders and even the CHP’s youth branch president.
—Bilal Bilici, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
Cite this Entry
“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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