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View synonyms for ism

ism

1

[ iz-uhm ]

noun

  1. a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice:

    This is the age of isms.



-ism

2
  1. 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 ).

ism

1

/ ˈɪzəm /

noun

  1. informal.
    an unspecified doctrine, system, or practice
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


ISM

2

abbreviation for

  1. interstellar medium
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

-ism

3

suffix forming nouns

  1. indicating an action, process, or result

    terrorism

    criticism

  2. indicating a state or condition

    paganism

  3. indicating a doctrine, system, or body of principles and practices

    spiritualism

    Leninism

  4. indicating behaviour or a characteristic quality

    heroism

  5. indicating a characteristic usage, esp of a language

    Scotticism

    colloquialism

  6. indicating prejudice on the basis specified

    sexism

    ageism

“Collins 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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Word History and Origins

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 )
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ism1

from Old French -isme, from Latin -ismus, from Greek -ismos
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Example Sentences

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.

American business has always been characterized by a certain me-too-ism.

Though generally ignored by the international press, it is “Abbas-ism” that rules the PA.

That is what everybody says when they want to prove any theory, creed, ism, or anything.

Outside of New York the political labor movement was not associated either with the single tax or any other "ism."

By this means I should have escaped the reproach of the most terrible ism of them all, that of Jacobitism.

If 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.

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