isolationist
(aɪsəˈleɪʃənɪst)
[f. isolation + -ist.]
One who favours or advocates isolation. In U.S. politics, one who thinks the Republic ought to pursue a policy of political isolation. Also transf.
| 1899 Press (Philadelphia) 25 Mar. 8 Their consent ought to have been obtained first, according to the creed of the isolationists. 1901 Rep. Brit. Assoc. Adv. Sci. 676 This way of accounting for progress in one or more directions may prove as inadequate as the one suggested by isolationists. 1929 Times 31 Oct. 16/1 If a grave crisis were ever to arise on the western borders of Russia, the isolationists might be swept off their feet. 1962 [see comparatist]. 1969 Guardian 6 Feb. 10 A teacher cannot be an isolationist. He has to go out and meet the people whose opinions matter in education. |
b. attrib. or as adj.
| 1921 Glasgow Herald 21 Apr. 8 Regarding the future policy of the United States... The isolationist attitude..is..much less obvious. 1922 Ibid. 30 Dec. 7 Senator Borah has been regarded as the foremost advocate..of the isolationist policy. 1930 New Statesman 26 Apr. 69/2 When Mr. Hoover signed last year the prospect was good, but the prolonged bickerings in London have stiffened the isolationist sentiment of the interior. 1958 Punch I Jan. 75/1 They go further and speculate about the future of an isolationist Britain. 1958 M. West Second Victory iii. 56 You know what these mountain people are—irredentist, isolationist, intolerant of foreigners and officials alike. |
Hence isolatioˈnistic a.; isolatioˈnistically adv.
| 1943 E. W. Hall in Mind LII. 232, I shall speak of them as the ‘primitivistic’, the ‘isolationistic’, and the ‘semantical’ usages, respectively. 1964 Economist 7 Nov. 567 To be..isolationistically independent and..internationally dominant. |