socialism

UK/ˈsəʊʃəlɪzəm/US/ˈsoʊʃəlɪzəm/

nounB2+Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #10,222 of 15,258leans written

Socialism is the belief that industry should be owned in common. Democratic socialism, socialism and capitalism, a socialist party.

The common ownership can mean state, municipal or worker ownership, and which one is meant is most of the difference between the many kinds. Democratic socialism seeks it through elections. The word covers a very wide range and is used loosely as an insult in some countries and as a party label in others. Note socialist; and that the word dates from 1832.

Definitions of socialism

1nounsocialismThe belief that industry should be owned in common.B2+
“The party promised socialism, with the mines and railways taken out of private hands.”

socialism is a political belief.

Where it comes from

French socialisme or social plus -ism, attested from 1832. Social comes from Latin socius, a companion, from sequi, to follow.

French
socialisme
English, today
socialism

Attested since 1832; either from French socialisme or from social + -ism.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

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socialism in the wild

As one of the main ideologies on the political spectrum, socialism is the standard left-wing ideology in most countries.
Socialism
Market socialism retains the use of monetary prices, factor markets and sometimes the profit motive.
Socialism
Christian socialism is a religious and political philosophy that blends Christianity and socialism, endorsing socialist economics on the basis of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus.
Christian socialism
Christian socialism became a major movement in the United Kingdom beginning in the 19th century.
Christian socialism
For instance, socialism may refer to an economic system, or it may refer to an ideology that supports that economic system.
List of political ideologies

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

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