Revanchist

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈvæn(t)ʃɪst/

Definitions

1. Someone who advocates for recovering lost territory or regaining power after a defeat, often through aggressive or militant means
2. A person who seeks to regain lost land or influence following a setback is often driven by nationalistic or militaristic aspirations
3. An individual who promotes the reclamation of previously held territory or authority after a loss frequently supports assertive or hostile actions

Etymology: The word arrived in English from French, where "revanchiste" was built on "revanche," meaning "revenge." French "revanche" came to mean a return match or a getting-even, and from there it took on the sense of seeking to win back what was lost. The French suffix "-iste" marks a follower or adherent of a cause, so a "revanchiste" is literally one devoted to revenge. The French term gained its political charge in the decades after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, when many French people wanted to recover Alsace and Lorraine from Germany. In that setting "revanchisme" named a movement that kept the wish for revenge alive, and the English noun followed the same path, now describing anyone pressing to reclaim territory lost in war.