ism
noun
a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice.
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ism
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-ism
-isma 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 ).
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ISM
ISMabbreviationinterstellar medium
ism
1 American
[iz-uhm]
/ ˈɪz əm /
noun
-ism
2
American
-ism
1
British
suffix
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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
ISM
2
British
abbreviation
ism
3
British
/ ˈɪzəm /
noun
Etymology
Origin of ism1
Extracted from words with the suffix -ism
Origin of -ism2
From Greek -ismos, -isma noun suffixes, often directly, often through Latin -ismus, -isma, sometimes through French -isme, German -ismus (all ultimately from Greek )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Isms, in my opinion, are not good. A person should not believe in an ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon: ‘I don’t believe in “Beatles,” I just believe in me.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2024
“What you worry about ism this is two hours a day, right?”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 8, 2020
Careerism is futile, yet somehow it is the only ism standing.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 23, 2020
But even though this is abstract photography decades before it became an ism in art, his work is seen as scientific.
From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2016
Long, unfamiliar words ending in tion, ism, and actic, with more talk about “the people” thrown in for good measure, like Big Ma throwing a pinch of salt into the cake batter.
From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia
It doesn’t seem like one -ism or -ation is entirely to blame, like globalism or immigration, capitalism or inflation.
From Slate ● Oct. 12, 2024
This was, after all, the peak of "No Reservations" style "Yes, Chef" -ism, when cooking was supposed to be sexy and aggressive and a little bit dangerous.
From Salon ● Aug. 19, 2024
The book, titled “The Theater” after the exhibition, is published and designed by independent publishing house -ism and takes us behind the scenes into a show that aims to bring the background to the forefront.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 30, 2024
"We have one more -ism in our history: Stalinism," says Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow at the Carnegie Eurasia Russia Centre.
From BBC ● May 6, 2024
NOTE.—The suffix -ise, -ize, is of French origin, and is freely added to Latin roots in forming English derivatives. -ism = state or act of; idiom hero-ism Gallic-ism state of a hero. a French idiom.
From New Word-Analysis Or, School Etymology of English Derivative Words by William Swinton
“General business conditions are positive,” a senior hospitality executive told ISM.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
ISM Chair Susan Spence said U.S. manufacturing activity lost ground in key measures, including new orders, backlog and imports.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
The headline ISM gauge of manufacturers sentiment, released Tuesday, dropped to 54.6% in August, from 55.6% in the prior month.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 1, 2026
The robust reading of the ISM poll, however, fails to tell the whole story.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026
The Termination ISM is always us'd but as one Syllable; as Where griesly Schism and raging Strife appear.Cowl.
From The Art of English Poetry (1708) by Edward Bysshe
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
