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irredentism

[ ir-i-den-tiz-uhm ]

noun

  1. (usually initial capital letter) an Italian association that became prominent in 1878, advocating the incorporation into Italy of certain neighboring regions having a primarily Italian population:

    After World War II, Irredentism faded away in Italian politics.

  2. the acquisition or annexation of a region previously included in another country because of cultural, historical, ethnic, racial, or other ties, or advocacy for such an acquisition:

    Few countries are explicitly mandating irredentism, but having ethnic communities divided by borders created by colonialists is hugely troublesome.



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Word History and Origins

Origin of irredentism1

First recorded in 1880–85; irredent(ism) ( def ) + -ist ( def )

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