socialism
/ˈsoʊʃəˌlɪzəm/noun
Political and economic system emphasizing social ownership
From Latin, via French social (Relating to companionship or life with others).
Lineage
social
-ism
The story
The word arrived in a century when Europe was arguing over who should own the mills, mines, and machinery—and whether cooperation could replace competition. French socialisme is attested in 1832, and the reformer Pierre Leroux later claimed he had invented it; English socialism appears by 1837. Beneath social lies Latin socius, “companion” or “ally,” from a root meaning “to follow”—a surprisingly humble origin for a word about remaking society. The same family gives us associate and sociable: companions, in effect, are people who join one another’s company. Add the Greek-derived suffix -ism, a label for a doctrine or practice, and companionship becomes a political program; the word’s roots ask us to follow together, while its history asks who gets to decide where.
Modern usage
Used dismissively for policies or public services a speaker opposes
- Heard in
- political debate · online slang
- See
- Urban Dictionary entries use socialism as a pejorative label for disliked government action
Words from the same roots
Sources
- Etymonlinesocialism, social, -ism, utopian, democratic, international, capitalism
- Urban Dictionarysocialism
- Wikipediasocialism
- Wiktionarysocialism, social, -ism