irredentism
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˌɪrəˈdɛntɪzəm/
- Specialized
:
irredentismo
- However, differences persisted with Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania, and with the Albanian irredentism in Kosovo.
Examples
-
The rise of irredentism in some regions is often fueled by historical claims to land and ethnic ties.
-
Political analysts warn that irredentism could lead to conflicts over territories that were once part of a nation.
-
Irredentism was an eroding force both domestically and in relation to the outside world.
Academic text (1995) -
A strong Kazakhstan deters Uzbek irredentism.
Academic text (1996) -
In the 19th and 20th centuries, the Balkans were affected by the politics of irredentism on the one hand, and by extreme applications of nationalism on the other.
Academic text (2000) -
Hungary justified its irredentism by claiming losses that were indeed excessive, not only in absolute terms but also compared to those of World War I's main culprit, Germany.
Academic text (1992) -
Most Saxon nationalists passionately supported German irredentism, bitterly opposing the Treaty of Versailles.
Academic text (2016) -
Not only will unilateral Israeli irredentism concerning Jerusalem do harm to its already questionable legitimacy, but it will also have a severe negative impact on its ability to enter into successful dialogue with its neighbors.
Academic text (2000) -
In other areas of the continent, immediate sources of conflict have primarily been irredentism, as in the Ethiopia-Somali and Kenya-Somali cases; a combination of power politics and territorial dispute, as in the Libya-Chad case; or humanitarian intervention, as it was in the Tanzania-Uganda war of 1978-1979.
Academic text (1990) -
Echoing their predecessors at earlier diplomatic conclaves, the "Big Three" reminded these supplicants that it was their irredentism that had drawn the great powers into the suicidal Armageddon of 1914-18.
Academic text (2011)
Synonyms
1
9.9
To try to get back land or power lost in war, often for revenge
A political idea that a country should take back land where people share its culture or past
Antonyms
How Assertive
Surface Forms
Morphology
irredentism = irredentist (opaque) = ir + redent + ism
The term is a specialized political borrowing (ir- + redent + -ism) and its internal morphemes are not productive or obvious to an average B1 learner, so the meaning cannot be reliably derived from the parts.
Etymology
The word irredentism comes from ir- 'not' and a root meaning 'redeemed', like the English word redeem, so it originally meant 'not redeemed'. It paints the picture of a country trying to get back land it once had, which is why irredentism means a political push to bring back former territory.