SKIP TO CONTENT

nationalistic

/næʃɪnəˈlɪsɾɪk/
/næʃɪnəˈlɪstɪk/
IPA guide

Other forms: nationalistically

Someone who's nationalistic believes their country is better than any other country. Flying the U.S. flag in your yard makes you patriotic, but getting an enormous tattoo of it is a clue that you're nationalistic.

Nationalism is an extreme form of patriotism in which people aren't just proud of their country or culture, but feel strongly that it's superior to others. Believing this makes someone nationalistic. Both words stem from nationalist, once a synonym for patriot, from an obsolete meaning of national, meaning "patriotic." The Latin root is nationem, "origin, species, or tribe."

Definitions of nationalistic
  1. adjective
    fanatically patriotic
    loyal, patriotic
    inspired by love for your country
  2. adjective
    devotion to the interests or culture of a particular nation including promoting the interests of one country over those of others
    “minor nationalistic differences”
    synonyms: nationalist
    national
    limited to or in the interests of a particular nation
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘nationalistic'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family