patriotism

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

patriotism
    n 1: love of country and willingness to sacrifice for it; "they
         rode the same wave of popular patriotism"; "British
         nationalism was in the air and patriotic sentiments ran
         high" [syn: {patriotism}, {nationalism}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Patriotism \Pa"tri*ot*ism\, n. [Cf. F. patriotisme.]
   Love of country; devotion to the welfare of one's country;
   the virtues and actions of a patriot; the passion which
   inspires one to serve one's country. --Berkley.
   [1913 Webster]

from The Devil's Dictionary (1881-1906)

PATRIOTISM, n.  Combustible rubbish read to the torch of any one
ambitious to illuminate his name.
    In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the
last resort of a scoundrel.  With all due respect to an enlightened
but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit that it is the first.

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