Identitarian

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Relating to a political or social movement that emphasizes group identity based on ethnicity or nation ; a supporter of such a movement who promotes its ideas
2. Describing the beliefs of those who prioritize a particular group identity in politics ; one who champions this kind of group-based political ideology
3. Of or pertaining to identitarian ideas centered on collective belonging ; an individual who adheres to and promotes identitarian philosophy

Etymology: The word was coined in 1943 by Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, an Austrian writer, who built it from "identity" and the suffix "-arian," the same ending found in words like "humanitarian" and "librarian." The suffix marks a person or belief associated with something, so an identitarian is someone who holds to, or organises around, a particular identity. The term stayed fairly obscure until the 1970s, when it was strengthened by French "identitaire." Its push came from the philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis, who used the phrase "ensembliste-identitaire" to describe a way of thinking that sorts people into fixed groups. French usage then fed back into English, so the English word gained weight from a term that was already in circulation in French.