National Socialism

American  

noun

1. the principles and practices of the Nazi party in Germany.

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National Socialism British  

noun

1. Also called: Nazism.   Naziism.  German history the doctrines and practices of the Nazis, involving the supremacy of Hitler as Führer, anti-Semitism, state control of the economy, and national expansion

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Other Word Forms

• National Socialist
  noun

Compare meaning

How does national-socialism compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• National Socialism vs. socialism

Example Sentences

It follows the fortunes and travails of the Oppermann family in Berlin as upper-class Jews during the rise of National Socialism, a phenomenon they blithely dismiss until that’s no longer possible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

Prosecutors said the group planned to create a government "inspired by National Socialism" - the far-right totalitarian ideology associated with Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party.

From BBC • Nov. 5, 2024

“Your mother was one of the few who, in the face of the crimes of National Socialism, had the courage to listen to her conscience and stand up to dictatorship, fascism and war.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2023

These items are all on display in “To Be Seen: Queer Lives 1900-1950,” an exhibition at the Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism that runs through May 21, 2023.

From New York Times • Dec. 7, 2022

He can't explain it exactly, but there's something about his eyes, their reaction when the class discusses National Socialism, as if Herr Meins isn't really a Nazi at heart but does not dare say so.

From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti