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
Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
The conference’s speaker list included a variety of election conspiracists with links to Trump—including far-right figure Mark Finchem, who is currently running for a seat in Arizona’s statehouse—and Christian nationalists, including Bill Cook, the founder of America’s Black Robe Regiment.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024
Serena Lin, Them, 4 Nov. 2024
For years, Carlson and others pined for a nationalist movement unconstrained by one man’s personal limitations, and with a more unified ethos.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nationalist 
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Noun
Graham is a neocon who loves war because he’s possessed by a demonic force; Putin is a nationalist who is looking out for Russia’s interests.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2024
The conference’s speaker list included a variety of election conspiracists with links to Trump—including far-right figure Mark Finchem, who is currently running for a seat in Arizona’s statehouse—and Christian nationalists, including Bill Cook, the founder of America’s Black Robe Regiment.
—David Gilbert, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
As my colleague Kiera Butler has reported, Lancaster County is home to a burgeoning Christian nationalist movement.
—Serena Lin, Them, 4 Nov. 2024
For years, Carlson and others pined for a nationalist movement unconstrained by one man’s personal limitations, and with a more unified ethos.
—Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 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 16 Nov. 2024.
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