unionist
noun
union·ist ˈyün-yə-nist 
: an advocate or supporter of union or unionism
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The stake was inherited from their father, Herbert, who rescued the company in 1960 with the help of BMW trade unionist Kurt Golda. 
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2022 Trimble was a conservative unionist who believed in Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, bitterly opposing earlier attempts to impose power-sharing in the 1970s. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 26 July 2022 The new British law would simply ignore parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol (to do with border checks and E.U. oversight) that Johnson’s government and unionist politicians in Belfast do not like. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 17 June 2022 Though unionist when founded, the Alliance Party has become neutral on unionism, and now appeals to Catholic voters too. Shafi Musaddique, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 June 2022 The party doubled its 2017 performance to finish third, behind Sinn Féin and the unionist Democratic Ulster Party (DUP), a dominant force for decades that now appears to be in decline. Brian T. Brown, NBC News, 15 May 2022 Election results reflected the demoralization of unionist voters, the disarray of their leaders and an electorate with new priorities — much of which can be traced to Brexit. New York Times, 7 May 2022 Conservative government says the Brexit customs arrangements cannot work without unionist support in Northern Ireland. Sylvia Hui And Peter Morrison, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2022 For all the symbolism, the victory was as much about disarray in the unionist movement as the rise of the nationalists. Mark Landler, New York Times, 6 May 2022 See More
Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2022 Trimble was a conservative unionist who believed in Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom, bitterly opposing earlier attempts to impose power-sharing in the 1970s. Tom Mctague, The Atlantic, 26 July 2022 The new British law would simply ignore parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol (to do with border checks and E.U. oversight) that Johnson’s government and unionist politicians in Belfast do not like. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 17 June 2022 Though unionist when founded, the Alliance Party has become neutral on unionism, and now appeals to Catholic voters too. Shafi Musaddique, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 June 2022 The party doubled its 2017 performance to finish third, behind Sinn Féin and the unionist Democratic Ulster Party (DUP), a dominant force for decades that now appears to be in decline. Brian T. Brown, NBC News, 15 May 2022 Election results reflected the demoralization of unionist voters, the disarray of their leaders and an electorate with new priorities — much of which can be traced to Brexit. New York Times, 7 May 2022 Conservative government says the Brexit customs arrangements cannot work without unionist support in Northern Ireland. Sylvia Hui And Peter Morrison, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2022 For all the symbolism, the victory was as much about disarray in the unionist movement as the rise of the nationalists. Mark Landler, New York Times, 6 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1722, in the meaning defined above