socialism
socialism Lexical Profile
socialism Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
"The university course examined the historical evolution of socialism across nineteenth-century Europe."
In Marxist theory, a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the full realization of communism.
"Early Marxist theorists viewed socialism as a necessary intermediate phase on the path toward a classless society."
Word Nuance & Usage
In political philosophy, socialism is often distinguished from communism; while socialism generally advocates public or cooperative ownership of major industries alongside democratic governance or regulated markets, communism envisions a stateless, classless society with complete abolition of private property.
• Rhymes for socialism
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 1830s from French socialisme, derived from Latin socialis ('of companionship or allies'), from socius ('companion, partner, or ally').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.