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ideology

[ahy-dee-ol-uh-jee, id-ee-]
See more synonyms for ideology on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural i·de·ol·o·gies.
  1. the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.
  2. 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.
  3. Philosophy.
    1. the study of the nature and origin of ideas.
    2. a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation.
  4. theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.
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Origin of ideology

1790–1800; ideo- + -logy; compare French idéologie
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ideology

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • They should be destroyed because their ideology does not agree with yours.

    The Galaxy Primes

    Edward Elmer Smith

  • In an age when money is the only ideology – they did not adhere to the party line.

    After the Rain

    Sam Vaknin

  • It is a philosophy, an ideology, a way of life, a mentality and a personality.

    After the Rain

    Sam Vaknin

  • The ideology of the various groups and parties had hardly changed.

    Our Revolution

    Leon Trotzky

  • The role of ideology in modern government has suffered curious neglect among students of politics for a considerable time.

    Government in Republican China

    Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger

British Dictionary definitions for ideology

ideology

noun plural -gies
  1. a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a nation, political system, etc and underlies political action
  2. philosophy sociol the set of beliefs by which a group or society orders reality so as to render it intelligible
  3. speculation that is imaginary or visionary
  4. the study of the nature and origin of ideas
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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

n.

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]
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ideology in Medicine

ideology

(ī′dē-ŏl′ə-jē, ĭd′ē-)
n.
  1. The body of ideas reflecting the social needs and aspirations of an individual, a group, a class, or a culture.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
ideology in Culture

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.

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The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.