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na·tion·al·ism

(năshə-nə-lĭz′əm, năshnə-)

1. Devotion, especially excessive or undiscriminating devotion, to the interests or culture of a particular nation-state.

2. The belief that nations will benefit from acting independently rather than collectively, emphasizing national rather than international goals.

3. The belief that a particular cultural or ethnic group constitutes a distinct people deserving of political self-determination.

nation·al·ist adj. & n.

na′tion·al·istic adj.

na′tion·al·isti·cal·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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