nationalistic

adjective

na·​tion·​al·​is·​tic ˌna-sh(ə-)nə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce nationalistic (audio)
1
: of, favoring, or characterized by nationalism
As increasingly nationalistic, authoritarian regimes in eastern Europe trampled on the rights of all minorities in the economically beleaguered 1930s, the ethnic German communities were easily tempted by National Socialism.Christopher R. Browning
His thinking also took a peculiarly nationalistic bent, emphasizing that Buddhism had declined in India and China in turn and that Japan was now the central land of the religion.Edwin O. Reischauer
2
: of or relating to a nation
The team split its schedule between the U.S. and Mexico for 17 of the next 18 seasons before cultural and nationalistic differences between players and officials … bubbled to the top.Kevin Baxter
nationalistically adverb

Examples of nationalistic in a Sentence

the political party's nationalistic ideology a nationalistic display of the country's flag at all civic events
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
To recap, the biggest cricket event of 2025 - in a rare year where there is no men's cricket World Cup - will now also be held in the rather sterile surrounds of the UAE after India refused to travel to Pakistan given the strict stance from its nationalistic government. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 24 Dec. 2024 Luxury brands need to watch another serious shift in China: the rise of local champions fueling nationalistic consumption. Stéphane Jg Girod, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024 Those are the cornerstones of a nationalistic policy. Antonio Fins, USA TODAY, 24 Nov. 2024 The AfD, born in 2013 in opposition to the country’s bailouts of fellow European Union members after the financial crisis, had quickly evolved to focus on resisting the migrant surge that began nearly a decade ago, with frequently nationalistic and racist overtones. Alec MacGillis, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for nationalistic 

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of nationalistic was in 1855

Dictionary Entries Near nationalistic

Cite this Entry

“Nationalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalistic. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

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