nationalist

/ˈnæʃɪnəlɪst/

/ˈnæʃɪnəlɪst/

Other forms: nationalists

A nationalist is a person who favors independence for a country. A Scottish nationalist, for example, believes that Scotland should be independent and separate from Great Britain.

One kind of nationalist advocates political independence, feeling that her region or state would be better off as a completely separate country from the one that currently controls it. Another sort of nationalist also cares deeply for a country — believing, in fact, that her own country is better than all other countries. This type of nationalist is an extreme patriot, and the term has been around since the 1700s.

Definitions of nationalist

1. noun

   one who loves and defends his or her country
   synonyms: patriot

   examples:

   Giuseppe Garibaldi

   Italian patriot whose conquest of Sicily and Naples led to the formation of the Italian state (1807-1882)

   Maud Gonne

   Irish patriot and a founder of the Sinn Fein (1865-1953)

   Tadeusz Andrzej Bonawentura Kosciuszko

   Polish patriot and soldier who fought with Americans in the American Revolution (1746-1817)

   Giuseppe Mazzini

   Italian nationalist whose writings spurred the movement for a unified and independent Italy (1805-1872)

   types:

   chauvinist, flag-waver, hundred-percenter, jingo, jingoist, patrioteer

   an extreme bellicose nationalist

   type of:

   national, subject

   a person who owes allegiance to that nation
2. noun

   an advocate of national independence of or a strong national government
   types:

   nationalist leader

   the leader of a nationalist movement

   American Revolutionary leader

   a nationalist leader in the American Revolution and in the creation of the United States

   type of:

   advocate, advocator, exponent, proponent

   a person who pleads for a person, cause, or idea
3. adjective

   devotion to the interests or culture of a particular nation including promoting the interests of one country over those of others
   “nationalist aspirations”

   synonyms: nationalistic

   national

   limited to or in the interests of a particular nation