Definitions and meaning of ism
ism
Etymology
From the suffix -ism (“belief”), particularly (in the 19th century) in the sense of "social movement". Compare phobia, from -phobia, sophy, from -sophy, itis, from -itis, and ana, from -ana.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɪz.əm/
- Rhymes: -ɪzəm
Noun
ism (plural isms)
- An ideology, system of thought, or practice that can be described by a word ending in -ism.
- 1843, Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, book 2, ch. XV, Practical — Devotional
- […] his religion, his worship was like his daily bread to him; — which he did not take the trouble to talk much about; which he merely ate at stated intervals, and lived and did his work upon! This is Abbot Samson’s Catholicism of the Twelfth Century; — something like the Ism of all true men in all true centuries, I fancy! Alas, compared with any of the Isms current in these poor days, what a thing!
- 1965, Bertram David Wolfe, Marxism, One Hundred Years in the Life of a Doctrine, p. 357,
- An ism does not have to possess the fearful implements of state power to cut off a a deviant or heretical member.
- 1969, Walter E. Minchinton, Mercantilism; System Or Expediency?, p. xi,
- In his exposition, he has failed to achieve the identification of situation, theory, and policy necessary to create an ism.
- 1986, Matthew Broderick (as Ferris Bueller), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:
- Isms in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an ism – he should believe in himself.
- 1994, Kenneth Kaye, Workplace Wars and How to End Them, p. 70,
- It is important to distinguish between an ism and a mere generalization about group differences. Generalizations that have statistical validity are not isms. An ism assumes that the generalization applies to an individual.
- Specifically, a form of discrimination, such as racism or sexism.
Translations
See also
- ideology
- ist
- philosophy
- wasm
Further reading
- "isms" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 173.
Anagrams
- IMS, IMs, MIS, MIs, MSI, SIM, Sim, mis-, sim
Abinomn
Noun
ism
- root (of a plant)
Cypriot Arabic
Etymology
From Arabic اِسْم (ism), from Proto-Semitic *šim-.
Noun
ism
- name
Uzbek
Etymology
From Persian اسم (esm), from Arabic اِسْم (ism).
Noun
ism (plural ismlar)
- name
- (grammar) noun
Source: wiktionary.org- a distinctive theory or doctrine.
(source: Collins Scrabble Dictionary)