populism

American  

[pop-yuh-liz-uhm] / ˈpɒp yəˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. any of various, often antiestablishment or anti-intellectual political movements or philosophies that offer unorthodox solutions or policies and appeal to the common person rather than according with traditional party or partisan ideologies.

2. grass-roots democracy; working-class activism; egalitarianism.

3. representation or extolling of the common person, the working class, the underdog, etc..

   populism in the arts.

4. (initial capital letter) the political philosophy of the People's party.

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populism British  

/ ˈpɒpjʊˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a political strategy based on a calculated appeal to the interests or prejudices of ordinary people

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populism Cultural  

1. The belief that greater popular participation in government and business is necessary to protect individuals from exploitation by inflexible bureaucracy and financial conglomerates. “Power to the people” is a famous populist slogan.

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Other Word Forms

• anti-populism noun

Etymology

Origin of populism

An Americanism first recorded in 1890–95; from Latin popul(us) “people” ( people, popular ) + -ism

Explanation

If you feel that ordinary working people should have the strongest political voice, you can say you believe in populism. In politics, the term populism can have different meanings depending on who is using it and what their political goals are. At its root, populism is a belief in the power of regular people, and in their right to have control over their government rather than a small group of political insiders or a wealthy elite. The word populism comes from the Latin word for "people," populus.

Example Sentences

"I understand that populism is spreading all over the world and that people are trying to look for scapegoats, they're angry," he said.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

It is interesting that they’ve always been enormously vain about the originality of their policy insights, their perceiving before others the rise of populism.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

AOC was the big curiosity, and the two panels where she spoke—one on populism, the other on U.S. foreign policy—were hot tickets.

From Slate • Feb. 17, 2026

"Extremism, radicalism and populism feed off this lack of trust, disinformation, inequalities, disenchantment with the present and doubts about how to face the future."

From Barron's • Dec. 24, 2025

But populism and particularism brought their own cure.

From American Negro Slavery A Survey of the Supply, Employment and Control of Negro Labor as Determined by the Plantation Regime by Phillips, Ulrich Bonnell