Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A region that is culturally or historically related to one nation but is subject to a foreign government.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A region that is related ethnically or historically to one country but is controlled politically by another.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Any region whose inhabitants are ethnically related to those of another state

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a region that is related ethnically or historically to one country but is controlled politically by another

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Italian (Italia) irredenta, unredeemed (Italy), Italian-speaking areas subject to other countries, feminine of irredento : in-, not (from Latin; see in–) + redento, redeemed (from Latin redemptus, past participle of redimere, to redeem; see redeem).]

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word irredenta.

Examples

  • But what kept the Russian irredenta from catching fire?

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • But what kept the Russian irredenta from catching fire?

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • But what kept the Russian irredenta from catching fire?

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • But what kept the Russian irredenta from catching fire?

    The Return Daniel Treisman 2011

  • France needed to regain its occupied territory, Wilson noted to a British colleague in early 1918; Belgium, its independence; Italy, its ethnic irredenta.

    How Wars end Gideon Rose 2010

  • Communion-frocked girls sang hymns to Our Lady, crop-haired boys peeped Hibernia irredenta.

    At Swim, Two Boys Jamie O’Neill 2002

  • Communion-frocked girls sang hymns to Our Lady, crop-haired boys peeped Hibernia irredenta.

    At Swim, Two Boys Jamie O’Neill 2002

  • To Damascus, therefore, Lebanon is Syria irredenta.

    Shedding Light on Lebanon 1984

  • To Damascus, therefore, Lebanon is Syria irredenta.

    Shedding Light on Lebanon 1984

  • The whole earth would have to be reshuffled if claims 2,000 years old to irredenta were suddenly to be allowed.

    Holy War Stone, I.F. 1967

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • 'A region that is culturally or historically related to one nation but is subject to a foreign government.'

    January 29, 2008