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
Peter Aitken
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 May 2025
Since the terrorist attack — in which all but one of those killed were Hindu tourists — Hindu nationalists, including officials in Mr. Modi’s party, have used the assault to expand their demonization of Muslims.
—Showkat Nanda Atul Loke, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
Image The push to call it the Arabian Gulf gathered steam during the Pan-Arab nationalist movement of the late 1950s.
—Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 11 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for nationalist
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Noun
What To Know Exit poll results on Sunday showed Simion, a nationalist who has voiced support for President Donald Trump, leading with 30 percent, or more, of the vote.
—Peter Aitken
jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 May 2025
Since the terrorist attack — in which all but one of those killed were Hindu tourists — Hindu nationalists, including officials in Mr. Modi’s party, have used the assault to expand their demonization of Muslims.
—Showkat Nanda Atul Loke, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Adjective
Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pushed a more uncompromising position on the contested land.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 14 May 2025
Image The push to call it the Arabian Gulf gathered steam during the Pan-Arab nationalist movement of the late 1950s.
—Farnaz Fassihi, New York Times, 11 May 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 19 May. 2025.
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