ideology
Americannoun
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ideologies
plural
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the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.
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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.
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Philosophy.
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the study of the nature and origin of ideas.
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a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation.
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theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.
noun
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a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a nation, political system, etc and underlies political action
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philosophy sociol the set of beliefs by which a group or society orders reality so as to render it intelligible
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speculation that is imaginary or visionary
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the study of the nature and origin of ideas
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of ideology
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."
Vocabulary lists containing ideology
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Power Suffix: -ology
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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:
But whether it is to follow Srinivasan’s ideology, he said, “on a day to day, I’m not really thinking about that.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
"There are bodies that equip them with this ideology, with food and water, and logistical support, and also guidance on how to do this."
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Atlantic writer Adam Serwer describes what happened in response to Operation Metro Surge as “neighborism,” the ideology that one should care for, and protect, one’s surrounding communities.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
But it is also about power and political ideology, explained James Schamus, a screenwriter who once ran Focus Features and is now a Columbia University professor.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
By treating us with respect, Schindler was resisting the Nazi racist ideology that constructed a hierarchy of humanity in which Jews were at the very bottom.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
In contrast, the rigid ideologies of homogenous teams “constrain portfolio choice” and make it less likely that the funds will “adapt to novel or changing environments.”
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 12, 2026
“In the absence of ethnicity, religion or political ideologies, social networks can divide, and new group boundaries can emerge, leading to collective violence,” the authors write.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
The statement added that the department has updated guidance, is providing teachers with resources to recognise the signs of incel ideologies and is strengthening guidance for mobile phones in schools.
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026
That’s because local media campaigns that reflect different political ideologies and community priorities may have a better chance of influencing the public.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026
These wartime allies stood for opposing worldviews and hostile ideologies, and their recent triumph over Nazism made them less, not more, open to compromise.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
