IDEOLOGY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does ideology mean? 

• IDEOLOGY (noun)
  The noun IDEOLOGY has 2 senses:

1. an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation

2. imaginary or visionary theorization

  Familiarity information: IDEOLOGY used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IDEOLOGY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

ideology; political orientation; political theory

Hypernyms ("ideology" is a kind of...):

orientation (an integrated set of attitudes and beliefs)

Attribute:

conservative (resistant to change, particularly in relation to politics or religion)

liberal (tolerant of change; not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or tradition)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ideology"):

radicalism (the political orientation of those who favor revolutionary change in government and society)

leftism (the ideology of the political left; belief in or support of the tenets of the political left)

liberalism (a political orientation that favors social progress by reform and by changing laws rather than by revolution)

meritocracy (the belief that rulers should be chosen for their superior abilities and not because of their wealth or birth)

libertarianism (an ideological belief in freedom of thought, speech and action)

monarchism (a belief in and advocacy of monarchy as a political system)

Negritude (an ideological position that holds Black culture to be independent and valid on its own terms; an affirmation of the African cultural heritage)

Orleanism (the political philosophy of the Orleanists)

progressivism (the political orientation of those who favor progress toward better conditions in government and society)

imperialism (a political orientation that advocates imperial interests)

reactionism (the political orientation of reactionaries)

republicanism (the political orientation of those who hold that a republic is the best form of government)

rightism (the ideology of the political right; belief in or support of the tenets of the political right)

socialism (a political theory advocating state ownership of industry)

theocracy (the belief in government by divine guidance)

Utopianism (the political orientation of a Utopian who believes in impossibly idealistic schemes of social perfection)

dovishness (any political orientation favoring compromise to avoid conflict)

hawkishness (any political orientation favoring aggressive policies)

constitutionalism (advocacy of a system of government according to constitutional principles)

anarchism (a political theory favoring the abolition of governments)

autocracy (a political theory favoring unlimited authority by a single individual)

centrism; moderatism (a political philosophy of avoiding the extremes of left and right by taking a moderate position or course of action)

collectivism (a political theory that the people should own the means of production)

communism (a political theory favoring collectivism in a classless society)

conservatism; conservativism (a political or theological orientation advocating the preservation of the best in society and opposing radical changes)

fundamentalism (the strict adherence to the basic principles or doctrines of a religion, ideology, etc.)

segregationism (a political orientation favoring political or racial segregation)

absolutism; totalism; totalitarianism (the principle of complete and unrestricted power in government)

democracy (the political orientation of those who favor government by the people or by their elected representatives)

social democracy (the belief in a gradual transition from capitalism to socialism by democratic means)

domino theory (the political theory that if one nation comes under communist control then neighboring nations will also come under communist control)

elitism (the attitude that society should be governed by an elite group of individuals)

extremism (any political theory favoring immoderate uncompromising policies)

fascism (a political theory advocating an authoritarian hierarchical government (as opposed to democracy or liberalism))

federalism (the idea of a federal organization of more or less self-governing units)

Derivation:

ideological (of or pertaining to or characteristic of an orientation that characterizes the thinking of a group or nation)

ideologist (an advocate of some ideology)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Imaginary or visionary theorization

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("ideology" is a kind of...):

theorisation; theorization (the production or use of theories)

Derivation:

ideologic; ideological (concerned with or suggestive of ideas)

ideologist (an advocate of some ideology)