Irredentist dictionary definition | irredentist defined

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irredentist

ir·re·den·tist

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[usuallyI-]Historical any member of an Italian political party, organized in 1878, seeking to recover for Italy adjacent regions inhabited largely by Italians but under foreign control
any person who advocates a similar policy about territory formerly a part of that person's country

Origin of irredentist

Italian irredentista from (Italia) irredenta, unredeemed (Italy) from Classical Latin in-, not + redemptus: see redemption

irredentist

noun

One who advocates the recovery of territory culturally or historically related to one's nation but now subject to a foreign government.

Origin of irredentist

Italian irredentista from (Italia) irredenta unredeemed (Italy), Italian-speaking areas subject to other countries ; see irredenta .

Related Forms:

ir′re·den′tism
noun

ir′re·den′tist
adjective

irredentist

Noun

(plural irredentists)

Someone who calls for the seizure or recovery of territories or states currently subject to other countries; an adherent of irredentism.

Adjective

(comparative more irredentist, superlative most irredentist)

Of or relating to irredentists or their policies.

Related terms

Origin

From Irredentist.

Noun

(plural Irredentists)

A member or supporter of the Italian party after 1878 which called for the recovery of all Italian-speaking territories subject to other countries.

Origin

From Italian irredentista, from (Italia) irredenta ‘unredeemed Italy’.

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SentencesSentence examples

Sentence Examples

The unrest in Macedonia threatened to reopen the Eastern Question in an acute form; with Italy the irredentist attitude of the Zanardelli cabinet led in 1902-1903 to such strained relations that war seemed imminent.
When in 1876 the Left came into power, Cairoli, then a deputy of sixteen years' standing, became parliamentary leader of his party, and, after the fall of Depretis, Nicotera and Crispi, formed his first cabinet in March 1878 with a Francophil and Irredentist policy.
In the autumn he made a motor tour of the south of France, - being greeted everywhere with popular acclamation, the bands playing the irredentist march "Sambre et Meuse," - and attended the army manoeuvres at Toulouse.
Minister of public works in the first Depretis cabinet of 1876, and minister of the interior in the Cairoli cabinet of 1878, he in the latter capacity drafted the franchise reform, but created dissatisfaction by the indecision of his administrative acts, particularly in regard to the Irredentist agitation, and by his theory of repressing and not in any way preventing crime, which led for a time to a perfect epidemic of murders.
The Italian bourgeoisie of the towns, thanks to the force of attraction exercised by Italy, was all the more conspicuously irredentist, since the country population maintained an attitude of comparative opposition to this movement.

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