ism

[ iz-uhm ]

/ ˈɪz əm /

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noun

a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice: This is the age of isms.

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Origin of ism

Extracted from words with the suffix -ism

Words nearby ism

islets of Langerhans, Islington, Islip, islomania, isls., ism, Ismael, Ismaili, Ismailia, Ismaʿilian, Ismaʿiliya

Other definitions for ism (2 of 2)

-ism

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).

Compare -ist, -ize.

Origin of -ism

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ism in a sentence

As someone who really did think a lot about the phobias and the isms in the world before I came out, even with that, I think it is very hard to understand just how pervasive these prejudices are until you experience them firsthand.
‘I’m a Senator.’ Sarah McBride Takes No Prisoners, No Guff|Isabelle Lee|April 17, 2021|Ozy
Dorothy Parker once noted that “the only ‘ism’ Hollywood cares about is plagiarism.”
Trustafarians Want to Tell You How to Live|Joel Kotkin|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet American minimalism, isolationism, realism, mind-our-own-business-ism—whatever you want to call it—is cyclical.
Rand Paul vs. the Real World|James Kirchick|September 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Similar explanations were offered for the very weak ISM manufacturing numbers released in early February.
The True Cost of Extreme Weather…Or is it Climate Change?|Eugene Linden|February 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

American business has always been characterized by a certain me-too-ism.
Frozen-Yogurt Shops Are Everywhere, but We Are Nowhere Near Saturation|Daniel Gross|July 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Though generally ignored by the international press, it is “Abbas-ism” that rules the PA.
Stop Blaming Israel And America For Fayyad’s Fall|Abraham Katsman|April 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That is what everybody says when they want to prove any theory, creed, ism, or anything.
Fair to Look Upon|Mary Belle Freeley
Outside of New York the political labor movement was not associated either with the single tax or any other "ism."
A History of Trade Unionism in the United States|Selig Perlman
By this means I should have escaped the reproach of the most terrible ism of them all, that of Jacobitism.
Life and Correspondence of David Hume, Volume II (of 2)|John Hill Burton
If we were a race of flunkies, ample opportunities had been afforded to have our flunky-ism whipped out of us.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 86, December, 1864|Various
It all looks traitorous, but perhaps it is mere Matilda-ism.
Up and Down|Edward Frederic Benson

British Dictionary definitions for ism (1 of 3)

ism

/ (ˈɪzəm) /

noun

informal, often derogatory an unspecified doctrine, system, or practice

British Dictionary definitions for ism (2 of 3)

ISM

abbreviation for

interstellar medium

British Dictionary definitions for ism (3 of 3)

-ism

suffix forming nouns

indicating an action, process, or resultcriticism; terrorism

indicating a state or conditionpaganism

indicating a doctrine, system, or body of principles and practicesLeninism; spiritualism

indicating behaviour or a characteristic qualityheroism

indicating a characteristic usage, esp of a languagecolloquialism; Scotticism

indicating prejudice on the basis specifiedsexism; ageism

Word Origin for -ism

from Old French -isme, from Latin -ismus, from Greek -ismos

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