nationalism
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
the desire by a group of people who share a language or culture to form their own independent country.
the advocacy of or support for the political independence of a particular nation or people. Often used in the context of anti-colonial or separatist movements.
Simple“The rise of Scottish nationalism has led to many debates about leaving the United Kingdom.”
In context“Nineteenth-century Europe was defined by various waves of ethnic nationalism that eventually dismantled several multi-ethnic empires.”
UsageOften followed by a specific region or ethnic group name.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
the political belief that Northern Ireland should leave the UK and join the Republic of Ireland.
the political movement advocating for a united Ireland. In this specific regional context, it is contrasted with 'unionism'.
Simple“He grew up in a family with a long history of Irish nationalism.”
In context“The peace process required careful negotiation between the traditions of Ulster unionism and Irish nationalism to reach a power-sharing agreement.”
UsageUsually capitalised as 'Nationalism' when referring to the specific political identity in Northern Ireland.
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly specific to the politics of the British Isles; outside of this context, the word follows the more general definitions.
Synonymsirish republicanismAntonymsunionismloyalism
“As someone who witnessed the conflicts of the nineties, Corovic said she knows where flirting with nationalism can lead.”
“CEPI said this would mitigate against the "vaccine nationalism" seen during the Covid pandemic, when millions of people were left unprotected after rich countries snapped up early vaccine supplies.”
Borrowed from French nationalisme, equivalent to national + -ism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.