ideology
Americannoun
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ideologies
plural
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the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.
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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.
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Philosophy.
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the study of the nature and origin of ideas.
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a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation.
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theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.
noun
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a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a nation, political system, etc and underlies political action
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philosophy sociol the set of beliefs by which a group or society orders reality so as to render it intelligible
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speculation that is imaginary or visionary
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the study of the nature and origin of ideas
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ideology
Explanation
An ideology is a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual. Very often ideology refers to a set of political beliefs or a set of ideas that characterize a particular culture. Capitalism, communism, socialism, and Marxism are ideologies. But not all -ism words are. Think: cronyism (a system of graft whereby friends unfairly help each other make money.) Our English noun is from French idéologie. The suffix –logy, used with many English words describing theories or doctrines, is from Greek logos "word, reason, speech, account."
Vocabulary lists containing ideology
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Power Suffix: -ology
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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.
See Examples For:
For his willingness to toss out Communist Party ideology, Zhu was sometimes called China’s Mikhail Gorbachev.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
“When you sublet your judgment about facts and morals to a rigid ideology, you really surrender your ability to make real moral judgments, and also to make real factual judgments.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
"There are bodies that equip them with this ideology, with food and water, and logistical support, and also guidance on how to do this."
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Second, the order designates as an organization something the FBI’s past leadership has described as an ideology.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026
Even General Smuts realized the dangers of this harsh ideology, decrying apartheid as “a crazy concept, born of prejudice and fear.”
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
In contrast, the rigid ideologies of homogenous teams “constrain portfolio choice” and make it less likely that the funds will “adapt to novel or changing environments.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
The statement added that the department has updated guidance, is providing teachers with resources to recognise the signs of incel ideologies and is strengthening guidance for mobile phones in schools.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026
That’s because local media campaigns that reflect different political ideologies and community priorities may have a better chance of influencing the public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
Growing up, I was surrounded by revolutionary ideas, banned books and family and friends who professed socialist, nationalist and religious beliefs, or even a mix of these seemingly contradictory ideologies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 8, 2026
The system functioned relatively automatically, and the prevailing system of racial meanings, identities, and ideologies already seemed natural.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
