Meaning & use
nationalist
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Meanings
nouncountable
A person who strongly supports the interests, culture, or independence of their own nation.
Grammar: Countable: 'a nationalist' or 'nationalists'. Often used with a modifier, e.g., 'a Scottish nationalist'.
Patterns
- a nationalist for something
- a nationalist party
- a nationalist movement
He is a passionate nationalist who believes his country should be fully independent.
The party was founded by a group of nationalists seeking self-rule.
Nationalists marched through the streets calling for unity.
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to or supporting the strong promotion of one's own nation's interests or culture.
Grammar: Used before a noun: 'nationalist sentiment', 'nationalist policies'.
Patterns
- nationalist sentiment
- nationalist policies
- nationalist movement
The rise of nationalist sentiment led to stricter immigration laws.
His nationalist views often put him at odds with international organizations.
The newspaper is known for its nationalist editorials.
Word forms
| plural | nationalists |
|---|
Common combinations
- ardent nationalist
- She was an ardent nationalist who dedicated her life to the cause.
- nationalist party
- The nationalist party gained seats in the election.
- nationalist sentiment
- Nationalist sentiment grew after the economic crisis.
- nationalist movement
- The nationalist movement demanded independence from the empire.
Synonyms and how they differ
- patriot
- A patriot loves and supports their country but does not necessarily want independence or superiority; a nationalist often implies stronger, sometimes exclusionary, devotion.
- chauvinist
- A chauvinist shows excessive, often aggressive, belief in their nation's superiority; stronger and more negative than nationalist.
Opposites
Word family
- nationalism noun
- The strong belief in the interests and culture of one's own nation.
- nationalistic adjective
- Showing strong support for one's own nation, sometimes excessively.
- nationalistically adverb
- In a manner that shows strong nationalistic feeling.
Commonly confused: nationalist or national?
nationalist vs national
National means relating to a whole nation (e.g., 'national anthem'), while nationalist means supporting the nation's interests, often in opposition to others.
Practice
Choose the correct word: The politician was accused of being a ______ because he wanted to close the borders and promote only his own country's culture.
Choose one answer.
A nationalist strongly supports their own nation's interests, often excluding others. 'National' is an adjective meaning relating to a nation. 'Nation' is a noun for the country itself. 'Nationality' is the status of belonging to a nation.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “nationalist”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.