jingoism
noun
Did you know?
Jingoism Got Its Start in the 19th Century
Jingoism originated during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, when many British citizens were hostile toward Russia and felt Britain should intervene in the conflict. Supporters of the cause expressed their sentiments in a music-hall ditty with this refrain:
We don't want to fight, yet by jingo if we do,
We've got the ships, we've got the men,
We've got the money, too!
Someone holding the attitude implied in the song became known as a jingo or jingoist, and the attitude itself was dubbed jingoism. The jingo in the tune is probably a euphemism for Jesus.
Examples of jingoism in a Sentence
Peter Aitken
gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025
As for the Russian soldiers, their remarks are a mix of jingoism and resignation.
—Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Sushant Singh, a lecturer in South Asian studies at Yale University and a former Indian military officer, said that the jingoism surrounding the attacks eclipses the security and political failures.
—Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 23 Apr. 2025
And jingoism, idiotic, is not patriotism.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 7 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jingoism
Cite this Entry
“Jingoism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jingoism. Accessed 15 May. 2025.
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