Standard Lemma guide

nationalism

noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈnæʃənəlɪz(ə)m/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈnaʃənl̩ɪz(ə)m/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈnæʃn̩(ə)lɪz(ə)m/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈnæʃ(ə)nəˌlɪzəm/
  • CMU ARPABET: N AE1 SH AH0 N AH0 L IH2 Z AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A more extreme form of patriotism; the idea of a more extreme support for one's country, people or culture.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Communists, socialists, and Islamists are against nationalism.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Support for the creation of a sovereign nation (which does not currently exist).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Basque nationalism
  • Kurdish nationalism

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Support for the union of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Ireland, UK, countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they rode the same wave of popular patriotism
  • British nationalism was in the air and patriotic sentiments ran high

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: patriotism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: loyalty, trueness

Narrower terms: Americanism, chauvinism, jingoism, superpatriotism, ultranationalism

5

noun

Meaning 5

the doctrine that your national culture and interests are superior to any other

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: internationalism, multiculturalism

Broader terms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, school of thought, ism

6

noun

Meaning 6

the doctrine that nations should act independently (rather than collectively) to attain their goals

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: internationalism

Broader terms: doctrine, philosophy, philosophical system, school of thought, ism

7

noun

Meaning 7

the aspiration for national independence felt by people under foreign domination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: ambition, aspiration, dream

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French nationalisme, equivalent to national + -ism.

Across languages

Translations

133 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: nasionalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Albanian: nationalizëm — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Amharic: ብሔረተኝነት (bəḥerätäñnät) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Antillean Creole: nasyonalis — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Arabic: قَوْمِيَّة (qawmiyya) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Aragonese: nacionalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Armenian: ազգայնականություն (azgaynakanutʻyun) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Armenian: նացիոնալիզմ (nacʻionalizm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Assamese: জাতীয়তাবাদ (zatitabad) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Asturian: nacionalismu — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Azerbaijani: millətçilik — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Bashkir: милләтселек (millətselek) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Basque: nazionalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Belarusian: нацыяналі́зм (nacyjanalízm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Bengali: জাতীয়তাবাদ (jatiẏtabad) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Bulgarian: национали́зъм (nacionalízǎm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Burmese: အမျိုးသားစိတ် (a.myui:sa:cit) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Carpathian Rusyn: націоналі́зм (nacionalízm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Catalan: nacionalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Chechen: национализм (nacionalizm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 民族主義 /民族主义 (mínzúzhǔyì) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Chinese Mandarin: 國民主義 /国民主义 (guómínzhǔyì) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Cornish: kenedhlegieth — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Corsican: nazziunalismu — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Corsican: naziunalismu — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Crimean Tatar: milletçilik — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Czech: nacionalismus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Danish: nationalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Dutch: nationalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Erzya: раськемельчи (raśkemeľči) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Esperanto: naciismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Estonian: rahvuslus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Estonian: natsionalism — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Finnish: isänmaallisuus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Finnish: kansallismielisyys — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Finnish: nationalismi — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Finnish: patriotismi — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • French: nationalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Galician: nacionalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Georgian: ნაციონალიზმი (nacionalizmi) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • German: Nationalismus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Greek: εθνικισμός (ethnikismós) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Greek: νασιοναλισμός (nasionalismós) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Gujarati: રાષ્ટ્રવાદ (rāṣṭravād) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Hebrew: לְאֻמִּיּוּת \ לאומיות (leumiyút) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Hindi: राष्ट्रवाद (rāṣṭravād) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Hungarian: nacionalizmus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Hungarian: nemzetizmus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Iban: nasionalisma — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Icelandic: þjóðernishyggja — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Indonesian: kebangsaan — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Indonesian: nasionalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Interlingua: nationalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Irish: náisiúnachas — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Italian: nazionalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Japanese: 民族主義 (minzokushugi) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Japanese: ナショナリズム (nashonarizumu) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Japanese: 国民主義 (kokuminshugi) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Kazakh: ұлтшылдық (ūltşyldyq) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Khmer: ជាតិនិយម (ciət niyum) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Korean: 민족주의 (minjokjuui) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Korean: 국민주의 (gungminjuui) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Central Kurdish: وڵات پارێزی (wllat parêzî) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Northern Kurdish: neteweperwerî — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Northern Kurdish: welatperwerî — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Northern Kurdish: niştimanperwerî — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Northern Kurdish: welatparêzî — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Northern Kurdish: neteweparêzî — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Northern Kurdish: nasyonalîzm — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Northern Kurdish: neteweperistî — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Kyrgyz: улутчулдук (ulutculduk) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Lao: ຊາດນິຍົມ (sāt ni nyom) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Lao: ຊາຕິນິຍົມ (sā ti ni nyom) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Latin: nātiōnālismus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Latvian: nacionālisms — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Lithuanian: nacionalizmas — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Macedonian: национали́зам (nacionalízam) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Malay: nasionalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Maltese: nazzjonaliżmu — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Maltese: nazionalismu — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Marathi: राष्ट्रवाद (rāṣṭravād) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Mongolian: үндсэрхэг үзэл (ündserxeg üzel) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Norman: nâtionnalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Norwegian Bokmål: nasjonalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Occitan: nacionalisme — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Pashto: ملتپالنه (melatpālǝna) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Pashto: مليت پرستي (milyatparasti) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Pashto: ناسيوناليزم (nāsionālizǝm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Pashto: نشنليزم (nešnalizᶕm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Pashto: نېشنلېزم (nešnalizǝm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Pashto: قوم پرستي (qawmparasti) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Iranian Persian: ناسْیونالیسْم (nâsyonâlism) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Iranian Persian: مِلّیگَرایی (melli-garâyi) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Iranian Persian: مِلَّتگَرایی (mellat-garâyi) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Polish: nacjonalizm — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Portuguese: nacionalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Punjabi: ਕੌਮਪ੍ਰਸਤੀ (kaumprastī) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Romanian: naționalism — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Romanian: националисм (naționalism) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Russian: национали́зм (nacionalízm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Scottish Gaelic: nàiseantachd — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Serbo-Croatian: националѝзам — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Serbo-Croatian: nacionalìzam — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Slovak: nacionalizmus — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Slovene: nacionalizem — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Spanish: nacionalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Swahili: utaifa — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Swedish: nationalism — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Tagalog: pagkamakabayan — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Tagalog: pagkamakabansa — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Tagalog: nasyonalismo — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Tajik: миллатчигӣ (millatčigi) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Tajik: миллатгароӣ (millatgaroyi) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Tatar: милләтчелек (millätçelek) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Thai: ชาตินิยม (châat-ní-yom) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Turkish: milliyetçilik — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Turkish: ulusçuluk — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Turkish: yurtseverlik — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Turkmen: milletçilik — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Ukrainian: націоналі́зм (nacionalízm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Urdu: قَوم پَرْوَری (qaum parvarī) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Uyghur: مىللەتچىلىك (milletchilik) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Uzbek: millatchilik — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa dân tộc — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa quốc gia — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa quốc tộc — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa quốc dân — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Welsh: cenedlaetholdeb — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Yiddish: נאַציאָנאַליזם (natsyonalizm) — idea of supporting one’s country and culture
  • Bulgarian: национали́зъм (nacionalízǎm) — support for the creation of a new sovereign nation
  • Finnish: nationalismi — support for the creation of a new sovereign nation
  • Korean: 국민주의 (gungminjuui) — support for the creation of a new sovereign nation
  • Finnish: nationalismi — support for the unification of Ireland
Real reading context

nationalism in complete knowledge articles