Dictionary.com

populism

[ pop-yuh-liz-uhm ]
/ ˈpɒp yəˌlɪz əm /

noun

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.
grass-roots democracy; working-class activism; egalitarianism.
representation or extolling of the common person, the working class, the underdog, etc.: populism in the arts.
(initial capital letter) the political philosophy of the People's party.

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Origin of populism

1890–95, Americanism;<Latin popul(us) people + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM populism

an·ti-pop·u·lism, noun

Words nearby populism

population genetics, population inversion, population parameter, population pressure, population pyramid, populism, populist, Populist party, populist shop steward, populous, pop-up
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for populism

British Dictionary definitions for populism

populism
/ (ˈpɒpjʊˌlɪzəm) /

noun

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

Cultural definitions for populism

populism

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.

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.