na·tion·al·ist
ˈna-sh(ə-)nə-list 
plural nationalists
1
: an advocate of or believer in nationalism
2
: a member of a political party or group advocating national independence or strong national government
compare black nationalist, white nationalist
1
: of, relating to, or advocating nationalism
2
: of, relating to, or being a political group advocating or associated with nationalism
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
The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
Meanwhile, the dominance of the right-wing nationalists against the liberal party in Belgium prompted Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to resign.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune Europe, 10 June 2024
Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
This thoughtful novel connects two characters separated by a century: a present-day Ukrainian writer and the twentieth-century Polish Ukrainian nationalist Viacheslav Lypynskyi.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for nationalist 
Noun
Unlike Martinique, Algeria had recently been scarred by violence, most notably in 1945, when, after a clash with nationalists, the French massacred thousands of Algerians.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
Meanwhile, the dominance of the right-wing nationalists against the liberal party in Belgium prompted Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo to resign.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune Europe, 10 June 2024
Adjective
Le Pen’s nationalist, anti-immigration, populist National Rally Party has been challenging the establishment for decades.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024
This thoughtful novel connects two characters separated by a century: a present-day Ukrainian writer and the twentieth-century Polish Ukrainian nationalist Viacheslav Lypynskyi.
—The New Yorker, 12 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for nationalist
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nationalist.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near nationalist
Cite this Entry
“Nationalist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalist. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
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