egalitarianism
Americannoun
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belief in the equality of all people, especially in political, social, or economic life.
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active promotion of this belief.
Etymology
Origin of egalitarianism
Explanation
Egalitarianism is the belief that all people are created equal. Remember the Reverend Martin Luther King? He was a fervent believer in egalitarianism. Egalitarianism is a set of beliefs that generally promote equality for all mankind — regardless of gender, race, religious orientation, etc. An egalitarian is someone who practices egalitarianism, perhaps by promoting laws giving equal protection to women in the workplace or by advocating for illegal immigrants to have the same rights as citizens. The opposite of egalitarianism is elitism, which is the belief that certain people have a right to have their opinions heard more than others.
Vocabulary lists containing egalitarianism
STAAR Government & Citizenship 2
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Hunger of Memory
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"The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century," Vocabulary from Chapter 2
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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.
Egalitarianism the notion that all individuals enjoy equal status and moral worth and that any legitimate system of government should reflect this in its policies and procedures.
From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022
Egalitarianism, that old utopian aspiration, can only happen amongst long-suffering commoners.
From The Guardian • Jan. 24, 2016
Egalitarianism isn’t the only Benchmark trait that bucks the latest VC trends.
From Forbes • Mar. 25, 2015
Egalitarianism is ingrained, reinforced in the days when army officers wore no insignia of their rank on their shoulders.
From Time Magazine Archive
Egalitarianism and mobility were both present in old Chinese society.
From The Political Doctrines of Sun Yat-sen: An Exposition of the San Min Chu I by Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony
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.
