nationalistic

adjective

ˌna-sh(ə-)nə-ˈli-stik How to pronounce nationalistic (audio)
Definition of nationalisticnext
1
as in patriotic
having or showing love and support for one's country a nationalistic display of the country's flag at all civic events

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nationalist
having or showing excessive favoritism towards one's own country a nationalistic economic policy that raises up enormous barriers against the importation of goods from other countries

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nationalistic Amid classic activities, including swimming, hiking and craft-making, summer camps have long played a larger role as a nationalistic ritual. — Seth T. Kannarr, Fortune, 13 July 2026 Almost overnight, the team has come to embody an alternative future for a country still wracked by nationalistic politics. — Arminka Helic, Time, 30 June 2026 Trump seems to see it as a chance for nationalistic pride—and self-promotion. — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 11 June 2026 To add nationalistic insult to injury, the head of Wardex isn’t even American. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for nationalistic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nationalistic
  1. patriotic
  2. nationalist
Adjective
  • The album combined patriotic standards with original Parton songs.
    — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The youngest Americans now rank as the least patriotic in the country’s history.
    — Tom Suozzi, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of patriotic
Adjective
  • Lander, who is Jewish, attended a rally Saturday outside Madison Square Garden protesting the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its leader, Mohan Bhagwat, who was speaking at the venue.
    — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Yet the agreement encountered intense resistance from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the communist left, and critical sections of Singh’s own Congress Party.
    — C. Raja Mohan, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of nationalist

Browse Nearby Words

nationalist
nationalistic
nationalists
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nationalistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nationalistic. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All