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nationalism

American  
[nash-uh-nl-iz-uhm, nash-nuh-liz-] / ˈnæʃ ə nlˌɪz əm, ˈnæʃ nəˌlɪz- /

noun

  1. spirit or aspirations common to the whole of a nation.

    He describes how the intense and unconquerable nationalism of India’s hundreds of millions contributed to the decline of the British empire.

  2. devotion and loyalty to one's own country; patriotism.

    The promotion of a healthy nationalism is part of the responsibility of the leaders of a newly independent, diverse nation.

  3. excessive patriotism; chauvinism.

    This kind of nationalism, intolerance, or imperialism seems to occur even in the best democracies.

  4. the desire for national advancement or political independence.

    A surge in Quebec nationalism led to the formation of the Parti Québécois, which was committed to a political route to Quebec independence.

  5. the policy or doctrine of asserting the interests of one's own nation viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or of the international community.

    There’s a struggle between integration and global values on the one hand, and uncompromising nationalism on the other.

  6. an idiom or trait peculiar to a nation.

  7. a movement, as in the arts, based upon the folk idioms, history, aspirations, etc., of a nation.

nationalism British  
/ ˈnæʃnə-, ˈnæʃənəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. a sentiment based on common cultural characteristics that binds a population and often produces a policy of national independence or separatism

  2. loyalty or devotion to one's country; patriotism

  3. exaggerated, passionate, or fanatical devotion to a national community See also chauvinism

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
nationalism Cultural  

  1. The strong belief that the interests of a particular nation-state are of primary importance. Also, the belief that a people who share a common language, history, and culture should constitute an independent nation, free of foreign domination.

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Nationalism is opposed to colonialism and imperialism.

Other Word Forms

  • antinationalism noun
  • nationalist noun
  • nationalistic adjective
  • nonnationalism noun
  • pronationalism noun
  • seminationalism noun

Etymology

Origin of nationalism

First recorded in 1830–40; national ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.