distributism

American  

[dih-strib-yoo-tiz-uhm] / dɪˈstrɪb yʊˌtɪz əm /

noun

1. a socioeconomic theory and system advocating widespread ownership of private property and the means of production: based on late 19th-century Catholic teachings on economic and social justice.

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Other Word Forms

• distributist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of distributism

First recorded in 1920–25; distribut(e) + -ism

Example Sentences

In “Submission,” the Islamic authority, with the author’s felt approval, turns toward Chestertonian distributism, with large enterprises denied subsidy and small artisanal ones encouraged.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 19, 2015