ism

¹ American  

[iz-uhm] / ˈɪz əm /

noun

1. a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice.

   This is the age of isms.

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-ism ² American  

1. a suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it was used to form action nouns from verbs (baptism ); on this model, used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice, state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion or adherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; Darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; intellectualism ).

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-ism ¹ British  

suffix

1. indicating an action, process, or result

   criticism

   terrorism

2. indicating a state or condition

   paganism

3. indicating a doctrine, system, or body of principles and practices

   Leninism

   spiritualism

4. indicating behaviour or a characteristic quality

   heroism

5. indicating a characteristic usage, esp of a language

   colloquialism

   Scotticism

6. indicating prejudice on the basis specified

   sexism

   ageism

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ISM ² British  

abbreviation

1. interstellar medium

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ism ³ British  

/ ˈɪzəm /

noun

1. informal an unspecified doctrine, system, or practice

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Etymology

Origin of ism¹

Extracted from words with the suffix -ism

Origin of -ism²

From Greek -ismos, -isma noun suffixes, often directly, often through Latin -ismus, -isma, sometimes through French -isme, German -ismus (all ultimately from Greek )

Example Sentences

“Capitalism without capital is just an ism,” he sometimes said, as he understood the importance of economic mobility.

From The Wall Street Journal

But then once I met him, I fell in love with his little -isms.

From Los Angeles Times

And he came of age in the long shadow of modern art’s towering and, he felt, likely terminal -isms.

From The Wall Street Journal

One “-ism” after another evolved to affirm the artistic impulse to make it new over and again.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Isms, in my opinion, are not good. A person should not believe in an ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon: ‘I don’t believe in “Beatles,” I just believe in me.’

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• congregation
• denomination
• faith
• religion
• sect
• society