communalism

American  

[kuh-myoon-l-iz-uhm, kom-yuh-nl-] / kəˈmyun lˌɪz əm, ˈkɒm yə nl- /

noun

1. a theory or system of government according to which each commune is virtually an independent state and the nation is merely a federation of such states.

2. the principles or practices of communal ownership.

3. strong allegiance to one's own ethnic group rather than to society as a whole.

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communalism British  

/ ˈkɒmjʊnəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a system or theory of government in which the state is seen as a loose federation of self-governing communities

2. an electoral system in which ethnic groups vote separately for their own representatives

3. loyalty to the interests of one's own ethnic group rather than to society as a whole

4. the practice or advocacy of communal living or ownership

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Other Word Forms

• communalist
  noun
• communalistic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of communalism

First recorded in 1870–75; communal + -ism

Example Sentences

And while there are certainly also toxic forms of communalism, I more often see my clients blaming themselves for struggling to connect and needing to connect at all.

From Seattle Times • May 28, 2024

The practice of polygamy is the best known of these, but the church also experimented with economic communalism for decades.

From Washington Post • Sep. 21, 2022

The uneven strains of popular front pluralism and idealized communalism that run through midcentury liberalism are reflected in the musical’s songs “Gee Officer Krupke!” and “Somewhere.”

From Slate • Dec. 13, 2021

It’s old versus new, communalism versus individualism, family versus outsiders.

From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2020

The Anglo-Saxon system is an intermediate stage between Roman individualism and Celtic communalism.

From Villainage in England Essays in English Mediaeval History by Vinogradoff, Paul