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.
The man who gave up his Makerfield seat for Burnham, Simons is said to have been helping Team Burnham on policy, though he has a different ideological background to Fahnbulleh.
From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026
De la Espriella’s ideological kinsman, Argentine President Javier Milei, is pushing for more oil output, focusing on his country’s massive Vaca Muerta shale deposit.
From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026
It’s hard to know what a Burnham administration would mean for Britain since by all accounts he’s been on an ideological journey for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026
It further telegraphed the kind of ideological inertia in which Juneteenth — and any other present-day discussion of slavery in America — too easily becomes mired.
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026
Wallace and Darwin had emerged from vastly different social and ideological backgrounds.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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.
