nationalism

[nash-uh-nl-iz-uhm, nash-nuh-liz-]

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

/ 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

nationalism

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.

Nationalism is opposed to colonialism and imperialism.

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of nationalism¹

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

Example Sentences

This is the new white nationalism: decentralized, modernized, more agile and disguised as self-improvement.

From Salon

He is the same officer Paetongtarn had complained about, and his bellicose nationalism has won him plenty of fans in Thailand but has also undermined the government's authority.

From BBC

"The government is creating an atmosphere when this is a positive thing. It is creating a wave of nationalism which could explode into physical violence."

From BBC

This hostility between China and Japan has spilled over into everyday lives as nationalism online peaks - Chinese and Japanese people have been attacked in each other's countries.

From BBC

It was not one of aggressive cultural nationalism: he wasn't talking about what my identity should be, or yours.

From BBC

Related Words

• fanaticism 
• jingoism