ideologue
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of ideologue
Explanation
An ideologue is someone who has very strong beliefs or opinions and stubbornly sticks to them no matter what. An ideologue will insist they're right even when evidence suggests they might be wrong. If you call someone an ideologue, it's an insult. You're not just saying they believe in something, but that their belief is unreasonable and unbending. An ideologue can't have a thoughtful discussion about a topic, and they aren’t able to consider other perspectives. Ideologue derives from the Greek idea, "form," and logos, "word or speech."
Vocabulary lists containing ideologue
Fledgling
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Novel Study: The House of the Spirits, Chapter 9–Epilogue
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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.
A pragmatist as well as an ideologue, Khamenei endorsed diplomacy when convenient.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
Rubio, who is seen as less of an ideologue, will lead the US delegation to the annual security and defense talks, which run through Sunday in the Bavarian capital.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
To Lam took over 18 months ago on the death of his predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong, an old-style communist ideologue who had presided over a sweeping and disruptive anti-corruption drive.
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026
Crooks reportedly went from being a pro-Trump to an anti-Trump ideologue, but appeared to go dark online afterward.
From Salon • Nov. 19, 2025
He was not an ideologue, but a pragmatist, a man who saw change as necessary and inevitable.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
