What does "populism" mean?
A political doctrine or philosophy that proposes that the rights and powers of ordinary people are exploited by a privileged elite, and supports their struggle to overcome this.
Populism
noun
noun ·4 syllables ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A political doctrine or philosophy that proposes that the rights and powers of ordinary people are exploited by a privileged elite, and supports their struggle to overcome this.
- Grammar: populism is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: demagogic rhetoric, mass politics, popular movement, popular rhetoric.
- Useful contrasts: deliberation, elitism, expertise.
- Usage evidence: Beyond the Right's populism and the dispersion of the Left which have made this situation possible, I take full responsibility for this defeat and draw the necessary conclusions by retiring from political life after the end of the presidential election.
How to use "populism"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "populism" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A political doctrine or philosophy that proposes that the rights and powers of ordinary people are exploited by a privileged elite, and supports their struggle to overcome this. countable, uncountable
- 2 the political doctrine that supports the rights and powers of the common people in their struggle with the privileged elite wordnet
- 3 The practice of appealing to the interests of the common people. countable, derogatory, uncountable
"It is not crass populism or majoritanianism that ratifies the legitimacy of the polity or the administration."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Beyond the Right's populism and the dispersion of the Left which have made this situation possible, I take full responsibility for this defeat and draw the necessary conclusions by retiring from political life after the end of the presidential election."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "populism"?
Common synonyms include: demagogic rhetoric, mass politics, popular movement, popular rhetoric, popularism.
How do you use "populism" in a sentence?
Beyond the Right's populism and the dispersion of the Left which have made this situation possible, I take full responsibility for this defeat and draw the necessary conclusions by retiring from political life after the end of the presidential election.
Etymology
From Latin populus + -ism.