ideological
AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ideological
First recorded in 1855–60; ideolog(y) + -ic + -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
You can use the word ideological to describe shared ideas or beliefs, and the word breaks down to ideo- (not "idea," but close) and -logical. An ideological stand for equal rights made Rosa Parks stay in her seat at the front of the bus. Ideological is an adjective that describes political, cultural, or religious beliefs. An ideology is a body of ideas, and those who agree with the main idea of something take an ideological stand to support it. Unlimited freedom is a strong ideological belief in countries like the United States, and communism was once the ideological foundation in parts of Europe. Some follow ideological ideals that are logical, while others take stands that seem, well, idiotic or illogical, like racism.
Vocabulary lists containing ideological
100 SAT Words Beginning with "I"
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Intermediate, List 1
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This Week in Words: September 14–20, 2019
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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.
More interesting are the ideological and sociological reasons why the ban may have unintended negative consequences.
From Slate • Jun. 18, 2026
But it does have a strong cultural and ideological focus on having children - informed partly by the desire to rebuild the Jewish population after the horror of the Holocaust.
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
These include Mojtaba Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guards, the ideological arm of Iran's military, where Ghalibaf was a key figure as aerospace forces commander, Sabet said.
From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026
In some corners of the profession, ideological conformity is more valued than psychological insight.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026
It is a warfare of limited aims between combatants who are unable to destroy one another, have no material cause for fighting, and are not divided by any genuine ideological difference.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
