ideology

[ ahy-dee-ol-uh-jee, id-ee- ]

/ ˌaɪ diˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌɪd i- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ideology ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural i·de·ol·o·gies.

the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.

such a body of doctrine, myth, etc., with reference to some political and social plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation.

Philosophy.

the study of the nature and origin of ideas.
a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation.

theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.

Nearby words

Origin of ideology

1790–1800; ideo- + -logy; compare French idéologie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ideology

His ideology is just so strong and so powerful that it clouds his vision for common sense and objectiveness.
The Sydney Astrologer Turned Islamic Radical|Jacob Siegel|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
ALEC attracted corporations that saw an opportunity to push an agenda, regardless of ideology.
The Left’s Answer to ALEC|Ben Jacobs|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
ALEC echoed the ideology of Charles Wilson, the first Defense Secretary in the Eisenhower administration.
The Left’s Answer to ALEC|Ben Jacobs|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But what influenced his change of heart to move away from Jacobinism as an ideology?
Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator|J.P. O’Malley|November 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

All is aimed at inculcating young minds with the ISIS ideology.
Darkness at Noon Prayers: Inside the Islamic Police State|Jamie Dettmer|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sun Yat-sen had spent years in study and propaganda; eventually his program became an ideology.
Government in Republican China|Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
The Nationalists began to feel the necessity of an ideology with which to replace that of the Confucian monarchy.
Government in Republican China|Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
The Communist ideology and that of the Nationalists coincided in their general opposition to imperialism.
Government in Republican China|Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger
The Zofingia denounces the hypocritical ideology of to-day, an ideology which serves to cloak a policy of brute interest.
The Forerunners|Romain Rolland
And the future of sthetics is a kind of ideology, or, as Renan expresses it, an identity with the sciences.
mile Verhaeren|Stefan Zweig

British Dictionary definitions for ideology

ideology

/ (ˌaɪdɪˈɒlədʒɪ) /

noun plural -gies

a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a nation, political system, etc and underlies political action

philosophy sociol the set of beliefs by which a group or society orders reality so as to render it intelligible

speculation that is imaginary or visionary

the study of the nature and origin of ideas

Derived Formsideological (ˌaɪdɪəˈlɒdʒɪkəl) or ideologic, adjectiveideologically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ideology

ideology

1796, "science of ideas," originally "philosophy of the mind which derives knowledge from the senses" (as opposed to metaphysics), from French idéologie "study or science of ideas," coined by French philosopher Destutt de Tracy (1754-1836) from idéo- "of ideas," from Greek idea (see idea) + -logy. Later used in a sense "impractical theorizing" (1813). Meaning "systematic set of ideas, doctrines" first recorded 1909.

Ideology ... is usually taken to mean, a prescriptive doctrine that is not supported by rational argument. [D.D. Raphael, "Problems of Political Philosophy," 1970]

Medicine definitions for ideology

ideology

[ ī′dē-ŏl′ə-jē, ĭd′ē- ]

n.

The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, a group, a class, or a culture.

Culture definitions for ideology

ideology

[ (eye-dee-ol-uh-jee, id-ee-ol-uh-jee) ]

A system of beliefs or theories, usually political, held by an individual or a group. Capitalism, communism, and socialism are usually called ideologies.