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Ideology was coined during which century?

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ideology

American  

[ahy-dee-ol-uh-jee, id-ee-] / ˌaɪ diˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌɪd i- /

noun

• ideologies
  plural

1. the body of doctrine, myth, belief, etc., that guides an individual, social movement, institution, class, or large group.

2. such a body of doctrine, myth, etc., with reference to some political and social plan, as that of fascism, along with the devices for putting it into operation.

3. Philosophy.

   1. the study of the nature and origin of ideas.

   2. a system that derives ideas exclusively from sensation.

4. theorizing of a visionary or impractical nature.

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ideology British  

/ ˌaɪdɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. a body of ideas that reflects the beliefs and interests of a nation, political system, etc and underlies political action

2. philosophy sociol the set of beliefs by which a group or society orders reality so as to render it intelligible

3. speculation that is imaginary or visionary

4. the study of the nature and origin of ideas

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ideology Cultural  

1. A system of beliefs or theories, usually political, held by an individual or a group. Capitalism, communism, and socialism are usually called ideologies.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ideological
  adjective
• ideologically
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ideologies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ideology

First recorded in 1790–1800; ideo- + -logy

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Explanation

An ideology is a set of opinions or beliefs of a group or an individual. Very often ideology refers to a set of political beliefs or a set of ideas that characterize a particular culture. Capitalism, communism, socialism, and Marxism are ideologies. But not all -ism words are. Think: cronyism (a system of graft whereby friends unfairly help each other make money.) Our English noun is from French idéologie. The suffix –logy, used with many English words describing theories or doctrines, is from Greek logos "word, reason, speech, account."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ideology ideologies

It wasn’t ideology that made me want to claw the stubble off my own face.

From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026

Tebas later said he was drawing comparison with "those propaganda techniques" and "not with an ideology".

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

They demonstrated their ideology during their dramatic comeback in Game 2 of the division series.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

In court, prosecutors argued that he was radicalized online and motivated by an ideology that called for “jihad duty.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

"But we're going to discuss Brotherhood and ideology, aren't we?"

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Cdr Flanagan said the police investigation found Shah was being drawn into extremist material and ideologies "when he was only 13 or 14 years old".

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

“We might have different ideologies, but we’re more alike than we are unalike, so maybe somebody who votes blue will identify with someone who votes red and vice versa.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

The committee’s recommendations included diversifying funding sources, embracing a range of ideologies and developing a new tuition model.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Baum has stressed that "my family and I firmly reject extremist ideologies and will not accept the AfD's appropriation of our name".

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

First, the achievement of the revolutionary generation was a collective enterprise that succeeded because of the diversity of personalities and ideologies present in the mix.

From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis

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Related Words

• creed
• culture
• dogma
• outlook
• philosophy
• theory
• view

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