The Suffix -ism: The Suffix -ism, Part 2

The suffix ism is added to words to mean "the process or action of" or "the system, principle, or theory of." These four lists are arranged from easiest to most challenging. Learn them all and enjoy the feeling of optimism!

Here are links to our lists in the collection: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. imperialism
    a policy of extending your rule over foreign countries
    One of the main objections was a concern that Washington was seen in many foreign countries as a symbol of American imperialism and militarism. Washington Post (Oct 25, 2016)
    Imperial is the adjective form of empire, so if you believe that your country should control more territory, or invade or colonize other countries, you're an imperialist.
  2. magnetism
    attraction for iron
    Any diminution in magnetism is likely to be bad news, because magnetism, apart from holding notes to refrigerators and keeping our compasses pointing the right way, plays a vital role in keeping us alive. A Short History of Nearly Everything
  3. fanaticism
    excessive intolerance of opposing views
    The central theme of this latest book — the ongoing conflict between tolerance and fanaticism — lends both relevance and resonance to the slowly unfolding story of England’s past. Washington Post (Sep 9, 2017)
    If your views on a subject — especially religion or politics — are extreme, and you don't tolerate different opinions or viewpoints, you're a fanatic. It's where the word fan comes from, as in someone who has a deep love for a sports team or celebrity.
  4. feminism
    a doctrine that advocates equal rights for women
    She was compelled by the show’s unusual entry point into a story about feminism and the fight for equal rights. New York Times (Apr 10, 2020)
  5. skepticism
    doubt about the truth of something
    Momma used to say that a politician was a man that had perfected the art of lying, so I always read those articles with a certain amount of skepticism before turning over to the serials. Dread Nation
    The skeptics were a group of philosophers in ancient Greece who held that true knowledge was not possible. Today it refers to anyone who has doubts about the validity of a statement or assertion.
  6. egoism
    concern for your own interests and welfare
    The research also offers hope to those who espouse the principle of psychological egoism—the belief that ultimately, people are most deeply motivated by self-interest. Scientific American (Sep 27, 2019)
  7. paganism
    a religion outside of mainstream monotheism
    Norse paganism is a polytheistic religion that is based on ancient beliefs and practices associated with the geographic area of Scandinavia. Washington Times (Dec 30, 2019)
    Pagan originates in the Latin paganus, meaning "civilian" or "of the country." When Rome converted to Christianity, the faithful called themselves militis, meaning "soldiers" in Christ's army, so the "civilians" were the countryfolk in remote corners of the empire who still followed older religions.
  8. altruism
    the quality of unselfish concern for the welfare of others
    I began by thinking of altruism as a more or less faithful rendition of its Latin root: alter/other; selfless compassion for the “other.” New York Times (Aug 7, 2019)
    Autrui is an Old French pronoun meaning "others," so altruism means putting other people's needs before your own.
  9. syllogism
    reasoning in which a conclusion is derived from two premises
    It was like a bizarre syllogism: these clothes are in photographs, the photographs look good, ergo these clothes look good. The Guardian (Mar 15, 2019)
    Aristotle defined this term, meaning "conclusion." His famous illustration of this type of logical argument follows:
    All men are mortal.
    Socrates is a man.
    Therefore, Socrates is mortal.
  10. theism
    the doctrine or belief in the existence of a God or gods
    I represented the agnostic position and David Lahti, a biologist and philosopher at the City University of New York, a position more friendly to theism. Scientific American (May 19, 2019)
    Theism means a belief in the existence of one or more divine entities, without necessarily subscribing to a particular faith. Atheism, its opposite, means believing affirmatively that there is no god.
Created on Thu Oct 08 12:26:27 EDT 2020 (updated Thu Apr 21 09:54:31 EDT 2022)

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