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.
Some candidate narratives also push back on the article’s suggestion that voters have little appetite for ideological confrontation.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
I just felt there was this huge ideological movement that wasn’t being covered on a weekly basis at all.
From Slate • May 7, 2026
He had deep ideological and family ties to Hezbollah, although did not himself hold an official position.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, neither of whom could be described as ideological allies of Piker, have suggested they would be willing to appear.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
There has never been a study of many societies under similar socioeconomic conditions on each of two continents, demonstrating systematic ideological differences between the two continents’ peoples.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
