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
Synonyms
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
Ben Krull, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
The Alawite State lasted from 1922 to 1936 before being incorporated into the wider Syria as a compromise by French authorities with Syrian Arab nationalists.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Dec. 2024
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
Most were Islamists of different shades, albeit more nationalist in outlook.
—Ian Pannell, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nationalist 
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Noun
On Jerusalem Day, which commemorates the taking of the Old City in the 1967 Six-Day War, thousands of religious nationalists traditionally march through Arab neighborhoods waving Israel’s flag, while chanting anti-Arab slogans.
—Ben Krull, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024
The Alawite State lasted from 1922 to 1936 before being incorporated into the wider Syria as a compromise by French authorities with Syrian Arab nationalists.
—Brady Knox, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
The moment plays on nationalist assumptions while also revealing the baseline of how these characters think after showing us several reasons for this mindset.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2024
Most were Islamists of different shades, albeit more nationalist in outlook.
—Ian Pannell, ABC News, 8 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nationalist
Dictionary Entries Near nationalist
Cite this Entry
“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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