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” ( cf. 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

A mix of debt, inflation and populism has changed the interest rate landscape since 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

I would also add that there isn’t such a self-correcting mechanism in populism.

From Slate • May 16, 2026

Now that there are big structural changes going on in the economy and big political changes, such as populism, that power dynamic is going to shift, he said.

From MarketWatch • May 10, 2026

Meanwhile, populism was rising across the U.S. and Britain.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

The revolution led inevitably to the dismemberment of such of its members as had joined it under the banner of populism.

From From October to Brest-Litovsk by Trotzky, Leon Davidovich