chauvinism

Meanings

1. Excessive patriotism, eagerness for national superiority; jingoism.
2. Unwarranted bias, favoritism, or devotion to one's own particular group, cause, or idea.

Etymology

Borrowed from French chauvinisme (“idealistic devotion to Napoleon”), named for Nicolas Chauvin, a legendary and excessively patriotic soldier of the French First Republic. The figure of Chauvin became especially famous as a character in the play La Cocarde Tricolore by the Cogniard brothers.