ideologue
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of ideologue
Explanation
An ideologue is someone who has very strong beliefs or opinions and stubbornly sticks to them no matter what. An ideologue will insist they're right even when evidence suggests they might be wrong. If you call someone an ideologue, it's an insult. You're not just saying they believe in something, but that their belief is unreasonable and unbending. An ideologue can't have a thoughtful discussion about a topic, and they aren’t able to consider other perspectives. Ideologue derives from the Greek idea, "form," and logos, "word or speech."
Vocabulary lists containing ideologue
Fledgling
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Novel Study: The House of the Spirits, Chapter 9–Epilogue
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
The Arabic translation of one of his books inspired the Islamist ideologue Sayed Qutb to develop his critique of the Enlightenment.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Rubio, who is seen as less of an ideologue, will lead the US delegation to the annual security and defense talks, which run through Sunday in the Bavarian capital.
From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026
To Lam took over 18 months ago on the death of his predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong, an old-style communist ideologue who had presided over a sweeping and disruptive anti-corruption drive.
From BBC • Jan. 23, 2026
Crooks reportedly went from being a pro-Trump to an anti-Trump ideologue, but appeared to go dark online afterward.
From Salon • Nov. 19, 2025
He was the ideologue who made his students bum with the flame that in most of them extinguished itself as soon as they graduated and joined the world they had once hoped to change.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
