Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Language: French
Origin: -isme, from Latin -isma and -ismus, from Greek -isma and -ismos, from verbs ending in -izein; -IZE

-ism

 suffix
     
NEW! See related topics: ILLNESS AND DISABILITYPOLICIESRELIGION
-ism [in nouns]
1PPPRR a political belief or religion based on a particular principle or the ideas and beliefs of a particular person:
socialism
Buddhism
2 the action or process of doing something:
his criticism of my work
3 an action or remark that has a particular quality:
her witticisms (=funny remarks)
4 the state of being like something or someone, or having a particular quality:
heroism (=being a hero; bravery)
magnetism (=being magnetic)
5MI illness caused by too much of something:
alcoholism
6 the practice of treating people unfairly because of something:
sexism (=making unfair differences between men and women)
racism
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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