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Synonyms

anarchism

American  
[an-er-kiz-uhm] / ˈæn ərˌkɪz əm /

noun

  1. a doctrine urging the abolition of government or governmental restraint as the indispensable condition for full social and political liberty.

  2. the methods or practices of anarchists, as the use of violence to undermine government.

  3. anarchy.

anarchism British  
/ ˈænəˌkɪzəm /

noun

  1. political theory a doctrine advocating the abolition of government

  2. the principles or practice of anarchists

"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
anarchism Cultural  

  1. The belief that all existing governmental authority should be abolished and replaced by free cooperation among individuals.

Discover More

Anarchy is sometimes used to refer to any state of chaos or lawlessness.

Other Word Forms

  • proanarchism noun
  • semianarchism noun

Etymology

Origin of anarchism

First recorded in 1635–45; anarch(y) + -ism

Compare meaning

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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.

Other themes included veganism – total avoidance of any animal food or products – and anarchism.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2025

Malcolm McLaren settled on anarchism as the philosophy for the Sex Pistols, which were launched as a marketing tool for his fashion shop Sex with Vivienne Westwood in London.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2023

Some of the most common ideologies fall under the umbrellas of egalitarianism and conservatism, including liberalism, socialism, and anarchism, among others.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

“It explained anarchism in such a way that people could understand that in everyday life most of us already practice some of its core principles.”

From New York Times • Jun. 11, 2022

The core belief of anarchism is that government is oppressive and that people will be free only when they can govern themselves directly.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

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.