What does unpatriotic mean?
Unpatriotic is an adjective meaning disloyal or insufficiently loyal to one’s country. It describes conduct, beliefs, policies, or arguments that are judged to work against the nation’s interests or values, rather than merely indicating a lack of personal patriotism. The word commonly appears in political and public debate, particularly in arguments about government decisions, military action, foreign policy, and relations with other countries. Because such judgments depend on competing views of national interest, “unpatriotic” can be highly charged and may function as an accusation against a person or position. It is also used more broadly for actions that seem to betray loyalty to one’s country or community. In careful writing, the term is best reserved for cases where this strongly negative judgment is intended, since it can imply disloyalty rather than simple disagreement with national policy.
adjectiveLacking loyalty to one’s country or nation, especially in one’s conduct, beliefs, or public actions.
- Lacking loyalty to one’s country or nation, especially in one’s conduct, beliefs, or public actions.
"Many citizens regarded the decision to leave the alliance as unpatriotic."
"Many citizens regarded the decision to leave the alliance as unpatriotic."
"The senator accused her opponents of making an unpatriotic argument."
The word turns a celebrated virtue—patriotism—into a political accusation, so context can matter as much as conduct.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unpatriotic come from?
English formed unpatriotic by attaching the negative prefix un- to patriotic. Patriotic comes from patriot, a borrowing from French patriote, ultimately from Latin patria, meaning “fatherland” or “one’s native country.” Related English words include patriot, patriotism, expatriate, and repatriate.
Related word forms
How unpatriotic is actually used
This is a strongly evaluative and often politically loaded term. It is especially used in debates about government, war, national security, and relations with other countries, and may express the perspective of critics rather than a neutral description.