socialist

American  

[soh-shuh-list] / ˈsoʊ ʃə lɪst /

noun

• socialists
  plural

1. an advocate or supporter of socialism.

2. (initial capital letter) a member of the U.S. Socialist party.

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adjective

1. socialistic.

socialist British  

/ ˈsəʊʃəlɪst /

noun

1. a supporter or advocate of socialism or any party promoting socialism ( socialist party )

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adjective

1. of, characteristic of, implementing, or relating to socialism

2. (sometimes capital) of, characteristic of, or relating to socialists or a socialist party

Usage

What does socialist mean? A socialist is someone who practices or supports socialism, which is an ideology or system based on the collective, public ownership and control of the resources used to make and distribute goods or provide services. This involves ownership of such things not by private individuals but by the public (the community as a whole), often in the form of a centralized government. The things needed to make goods or offer services—the raw materials, tools, factories, and labor—are known as the means of production. Under socialism, the means of production are owned collectively, rather than by private enterprises. The word socialist can also be used as an adjective to describe things involving socialism or that operate under socialism, such as countries, economies, or programs. Socialism is both a social and an economic theory, with many varying interpretations as to what it truly entails. In general, socialism values people working together to meet individuals’ needs. It’s based on the belief that everyone who helps create goods or services should have a share in them. To achieve that, socialism calls for the government to own the raw materials used to make goods, such as wood and metals, and everything you need to make things out of them, including machinery and factories. Some versions of the ideology are based on the belief that the government should also set all purchase prices and workers’ wages to ensure that everyone’s wealth stays equal. In this version of socialism, doctors, bakers, clerks, teachers, and accountants would all be paid the same. Many socialists think that essential services—such as healthcare, education, and even food—should be provided to the citizens by the government. The idea is that since community members worked together to produce those goods and services, everyone should have equal access to them. There are many common misconceptions related to socialism. One is that a nation cannot be both socialist and democratic at the same time, yet many socialists agree with the idea of democracy. Another common misconception is that there is no private property in a socialist society. But many people who consider themselves socialists are concerned only with property that has to do with production. In a society based on socialism, you could theoretically still have iPhones, jeans, and cars. The difference would be that the government would own everything required to make them. Abolishing private property is actually a part of communism, an ideology that is often confused with socialism. In Marxist theory, socialism is sometimes considered a middle stage in the transition from capitalism to communism.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsocialist
  noun
• presocialist
  noun
• semisocialist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• socialists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of socialist

First recorded in 1825–35; social + -ist

Explanation

A socialist is someone who supports a political or economic philosophy that says society as a whole, rather than private companies, should own or control various goods and services. The word socialist has become so politicized that it can be hard to define accurately. The original 19th century socialists were Marxists who believed that workers, and society, should have total control of the means of production. This economic philosophy (and the accompanying politics) is known as socialism. Today's socialists hold a wide variety of beliefs, from community ownership of land and businesses to government control of goods and services for the public good, funded through taxation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

socialist socialists

That’s the story of last night’s highest-profile race, in which David Crowley, the Milwaukee County executive, narrowly beat Francesca Hong, a democratic socialist, to become the party’s nominee for Wisconsin governor.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

As Cuba marks 100 years since Fidel Castro's birth, Cubans are questioning the promises of the socialist revolution he led for nearly half a century, and asking whether his successors are up to the job.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

She calls herself a socialist and acknowledges belonging to the Democratic Socialists of America’s New York chapter—of which she told Mr. Karl: “It’s my—it’s kind of like your local union chapter.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

I think it’s fair to say that North Dakota has a long history of maintaining policies and running companies and other institutions that could be considered socialist.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Some of the men, especially those MK soldiers who had been trained in socialist coun-tries, believed that the ANC and the party were one and the same.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

A CNN poll last summer found that one-third of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents think of themselves as democratic socialists like Ms. Ocasio-Cortez.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026

Legislation liberalizing the sector is expected to sail through parliament, where Rodriguez's socialists have a majority.

From Barron's ● Jan. 22, 2026

But it showed that there can be successful democratic socialists all over the world.

From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders, also democratic socialists, endorsed Mamdani during his campaign.

From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2025

In France, Fourier was the leader among this new class of socialists.

From Stories of the Badger State by Reuben Gold Thwaites

Related Words

• left-winger
• leftist
• liberal
• progressive
• radical