irredentism
noun
ir·re·den·tism
ˌir-i-ˈden-ˌti-zəm 
: a political principle or policy directed toward the incorporation of irredentas within the boundaries of their historically or ethnically related political unit
Examples of irredentism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Washington could have pursued both objectives at the same time, adapting to the Soviet Union’s decline while also hedging against future Russian irredentism by supporting self-determination in the emerging post-Soviet states.
—
Alexander Vindman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2022
Recent history reveals that the international system is vulnerable to this kind of creeping irredentism.
—Michael J. Green, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2020
In fact, Gruevski alleged this Albanian irredentism only after the DUI refused to offer him support to form a parliamentary majority and instead decided to support the opposition.
—Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2017
Finding themselves in a vacuum, without an inclusive peace process or strong international engagement, Karabakh Armenians began to shift from a mere push for self-determination to more radical irredentism.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2023
In a mirror image of the situation of a decade ago, when nationalist Armenians claimed Azerbaijani lands, Azerbaijani irredentism is now rearing its head.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2023
This irredentism, as Russian liberals have begun to see, has resulted in unmitigated catastrophe.
—Casey Michel, The New Republic, 2 Mar. 2023
The not-unreasonable perception that post-Soviet Russia was snookered by the West into coughing up too much of the USSR's holdings played a major role in the rise of Putin, whose philosophy includes a strong element of irredentism, the desire to recover national territory.
—David Faris, The Week, 19 Oct. 2021
The foreign ministries of Romania, Austria and Ukraine — areas of which once belonged to the Hungarian kingdom — accused Orban of irredentism, which is a desire to regain lost territory.
—Justin Spike, ajc, 24 Nov. 2022
Alexander Vindman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Aug. 2022
Recent history reveals that the international system is vulnerable to this kind of creeping irredentism.
—Michael J. Green, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2020
In fact, Gruevski alleged this Albanian irredentism only after the DUI refused to offer him support to form a parliamentary majority and instead decided to support the opposition.
—Edward P. Joseph, Foreign Affairs, 23 May 2017
Finding themselves in a vacuum, without an inclusive peace process or strong international engagement, Karabakh Armenians began to shift from a mere push for self-determination to more radical irredentism.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2023
In a mirror image of the situation of a decade ago, when nationalist Armenians claimed Azerbaijani lands, Azerbaijani irredentism is now rearing its head.
—Thomas De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 26 Sep. 2023
This irredentism, as Russian liberals have begun to see, has resulted in unmitigated catastrophe.
—Casey Michel, The New Republic, 2 Mar. 2023
The not-unreasonable perception that post-Soviet Russia was snookered by the West into coughing up too much of the USSR's holdings played a major role in the rise of Putin, whose philosophy includes a strong element of irredentism, the desire to recover national territory.
—David Faris, The Week, 19 Oct. 2021
The foreign ministries of Romania, Austria and Ukraine — areas of which once belonged to the Hungarian kingdom — accused Orban of irredentism, which is a desire to regain lost territory.
—Justin Spike, ajc, 24 Nov. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'irredentism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Irredentism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irredentism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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