ism
a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice: This is the age of isms.
Origin of ism
1Words Nearby ism
Other definitions for -ism (2 of 2)
a suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it was used to form action nouns from verbs (baptism); on this model, used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice, state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion or adherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; Darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; intellectualism).
Origin of -ism
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use ism in a sentence
As someone who really did think a lot about the phobias and the isms in the world before I came out, even with that, I think it is very hard to understand just how pervasive these prejudices are until you experience them firsthand.
Dorothy Parker once noted that “the only ‘ism’ Hollywood cares about is plagiarism.”
Yet American minimalism, isolationism, realism, mind-our-own-business-ism—whatever you want to call it—is cyclical.
Similar explanations were offered for the very weak ism manufacturing numbers released in early February.
The True Cost of Extreme Weather…Or is it Climate Change? | Eugene Linden | February 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAmerican business has always been characterized by a certain me-too-ism.
Frozen-Yogurt Shops Are Everywhere, but We Are Nowhere Near Saturation | Daniel Gross | July 19, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Though generally ignored by the international press, it is “Abbas-ism” that rules the PA.
Stop Blaming Israel And America For Fayyad’s Fall | Abraham Katsman | April 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTThat is what everybody says when they want to prove any theory, creed, ism, or anything.
Fair to Look Upon | Mary Belle FreeleyOutside of New York the political labor movement was not associated either with the single tax or any other "ism."
A History of Trade Unionism in the United States | Selig PerlmanBy this means I should have escaped the reproach of the most terrible ism of them all, that of Jacobitism.
Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume II (of 2) | John Hill BurtonIf we were a race of flunkies, ample opportunities had been afforded to have our flunky-ism whipped out of us.
It all looks traitorous, but perhaps it is mere Matilda-ism.
Up and Down | Edward Frederic Benson
British Dictionary definitions for ism (1 of 3)
/ (ˈɪzəm) /
informal, often derogatory an unspecified doctrine, system, or practice
British Dictionary definitions for ISM (2 of 3)
interstellar medium
British Dictionary definitions for -ism (3 of 3)
indicating an action, process, or result: criticism; terrorism
indicating a state or condition: paganism
indicating a doctrine, system, or body of principles and practices: Leninism; spiritualism
indicating behaviour or a characteristic quality: heroism
indicating a characteristic usage, esp of a language: colloquialism; Scotticism
indicating prejudice on the basis specified: sexism; ageism
Origin of -ism
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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