Bonapartist

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A person who supports Napoleon Bonaparte or the imperial dynasty he founded ; characterizing the policies, rule or political system associated with Napoleon
2. An adherent of Napoleon I of France or of the Bonaparte family's claim to power ; describing anything connected with Napoleonic rule or its political principles
3. Someone loyal to the Bonaparte dynasty and its restoration of imperial authority ; relating to the authoritarian government and ideas linked with Napoleon

Etymology: The surname Bonaparte belonged to a Corsican family that rose to European prominence with Napoleon Bonaparte, and "Bonapartist" was formed by adding the suffix "-ist" to that name, marking a follower or supporter of the family and its political cause. The suffix, borrowed from Greek through Latin and French, is the same one found in words like "royalist" and "socialist," and it turns a person's name into a label for a partisan. The term took on its political sense in France, where it came to describe those who backed the Bonaparte dynasty's claim to power, particularly during the period after Napoleon's rule when the family's supporters continued to campaign for their return. Its meaning therefore grew out of the Napoleonic era rather than out of any older use of the name, and it has long been applied as a descriptor for both people and their ideas.