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Glite Dictionary
irredenta

irredenta

1 9.9
A region whose people or history tie it to one country but is ruled by another
  • noun
  • /ˌɪrəˈdɛntə/
  • Specialized
: irredenta
  • The debate over the irredenta has created tensions between the two neighboring nations for decades.

Examples

  • Their brethren made up 30 percent of the population in Bosnia, 17 percent in Croatia, 55 percent in Vojvodina, and 10 percent in Kosovo—an irredenta.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The leaders of the country discussed the issue of irredenta, hoping to reunite the people living across the border.

  • And whereas territorial adjustment used to involve the conquest of irredenta from their foreign masters, now it involves civil war or negotiated secession.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Many nationalists believe that reclaiming the irredenta will bring unity to their divided population.

Surface Forms

irredenta singular
irredentas plural

Etymology

The word irredenta comes from Italian meaning 'land not yet returned' and is related to the English word redeem. Nationalists used it for regions they wanted to 'bring back' into their country, so an irredenta today is a territory claimed by another country but seen as part of the homeland.