irredentism

/ɪɹɪˈdɛntɪzəm/

irredentism means A nationalistic doctrine advocating the annexation of foreign lands with historic or ethnic links. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.

irredentism is pronounced /ɪɹɪˈdɛntɪzəm/.

Why “irredentism” is a great word

IRREDENTISM — [Noun] A political doctrine advocating the annexation of territories administered by other states, justified by historical, ethnic, or linguistic affiliations. From Italian *irredentista* (from *irredento*, "unredeemed"), from *in-* ("not") + *redento* (past participle of *redimere*, "to redeem"), + the English suffix *-ism*. Unlike imperialism, which expands for power or resources, or secessionism, which seeks separation and independence, irredentism is a call to recover a lost limb of the national body. It is the faded map on the study wall, the folk song sung in a banned dialect, the rusted fence post marking not a boundary but a grievance—a conviction that a line on the earth can redeem a wound in time.

Etymology

From irredent(ist) + -ism.

noun

A nationalistic doctrine advocating the annexation of foreign lands with historic or ethnic links.“Ukraine became a major concern to [Stalin’s] “fortress builders” on the eve of World War II. The defensive bulwark seemed to have developed into a large crack – the threat of Ukrainian irredentism.”