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

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

From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2020

Professor Catherine Liu, who recently taught a class at the University of California at Irvine on the history of selfies, likens young people and selfie-taking to the communalism movement of the 1960s.

From Salon • Aug. 18, 2019

Its emphasis on self-discipline should restrain the waste of our consumerist society. Its robust communalism should provide an alternative to a nation in which our economy and our fear isolate us geographically and divide us ideologically.

From Washington Post • Dec. 21, 2015

If, therfore, individualism must be developed, it must manifestly be of a variety which does not conflict with or abrogate communalism.

From Evolution Of The Japanese, Social And Psychic by Gulick, Sidney Lewis