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Ideology was coined during which century?

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ideology

American  

[ahy-dee-ol-uh-jee, id-ee-] / ˌaɪ diˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌɪd i- /

noun

• ideologies
  plural

1. the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.

2. such a body of doctrine, myth, etc., with reference to some political and social plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation.

3. Philosophy.

   1. the study of the nature and origin of ideas.

   2. a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation.

4. theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.

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ideology British  

/ ˌaɪdɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a nation, political system, etc and underlies political action

2. philosophy sociol the set of beliefs by which a group or society orders reality so as to render it intelligible

3. speculation that is imaginary or visionary

4. the study of the nature and origin of ideas

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ideology Cultural  

1. A system of beliefs or theories, usually political, held by an individual or a group. Capitalism, communism, and socialism are usually called ideologies.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ideological
  adjective
• ideologically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ideologies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ideology

First recorded in 1790–1800; ideo- + -logy

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Explanation

An ideology is a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual. Very often ideology refers to a set of political beliefs or a set of ideas that characterize a particular culture. Capitalism, communism, socialism, and Marxism are ideologies. But not all -ism words are. Think: cronyism (a system of graft whereby friends unfairly help each other make money.) Our English noun is from French idéologie. The suffix –logy, used with many English words describing theories or doctrines, is from Greek logos "word, reason, speech, account."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ideology ideologies

Although ideology "matters for symbolic encounters," it is "not that relevant" in practice, according to Oliver Stuenkel, an international relations professor at the FGV.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Her message aims to appeal to voters’ interests and not just their ideology, a rejection of the idea that she’s someone who doesn’t belong in this country.

From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2026

It wasn’t ideology that made me want to claw the stubble off my own face.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026

Tebas later said he was drawing comparison with "those propaganda techniques" and "not with an ideology".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

He paid close attention to coverage of Hwang Jang Yop, a principal architect of North Korea’s ideology and the highest-ranking official ever to defect.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Photos allegedly taken from his social media accounts have provoked online discussions on his ideologies.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

One key objection was the mature tone of the narrative, in which the child protagonist is directly confronted and endangered by the evils derived from fascist ideologies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

The resurgence of totalizing ideologies among the young has a lot of smart people puzzled.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Prevent was set up 20 years ago to try to identify future potential terrorists and intervene in their lives, often by challenging hateful ideologies such as far right extremism or support for jihadist violence.

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

But some of their ideologies didn’t align with Hitler’s.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

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Related Words

• creed
• culture
• dogma
• outlook
• philosophy
• theory
• view

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