state capitalism

American

noun

a form of capitalism in which the central government controls most of the capital, industry, natural resources, etc.

state capitalism British

noun

a form of capitalism in which the state owns or controls most of the means of production and other capital: often very similar to state socialism

"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

Etymology

Origin of state capitalism

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

state capitalism

Ding’s committee bets that by hitching China’s engineering prowess to the engine of state capitalism, it may eventually get there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Under this unfolding form of American state capitalism, the U.S. is pushing the boundaries of its legal authority to invest billions of dollars in a growing number of companies in return for stock.

From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2025

"Everybody's rushing out the -isms - corporatism, socialism, state capitalism," DeHaven said.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2025

Shevek travels to rival system Urras, where inhabitants practice a form of state capitalism that is rife with the usual inequities.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2022

The creations of the one, Protestantism, the national state, capitalism, individualism, reached their perfect maturity in the other.

From The Age of the Reformation by Preserved Smith

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023