egalitarianism
noun
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The Roots of Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism comes to the English language from the French. We fashioned egalitarian from their égalitaire “egalitarian” (which comes from the Latin aequalitas “equality”), and then added our -ism to it. The word first appeared in English in the late 19th century; our current earliest citation is from 1874, in The Times of India: “Before the Revolution the officers of one regiment welcomed brother corps with champagne suppers, but egalitarianism has brought us down to punch at five francs the bowl. . . ." The word has seen a subtle shift in meaning. Its earliest use was typically in reference to a belief in human equality; it has since taken on the sense “a social philosophy that advocates the removal of inequality among people.”
Examples of egalitarianism in a Sentence
Samira Mehta, The Conversation, 30 June 2025
But the Republic of Venice fell to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1797, ushering in a new government that promoted egalitarianism and established legal equality for all citizens.
—Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025
This unusual display of egalitarianism (especially for the coastal enclave of Newport Beach) started on May 21 and is expected to continue until the end of summer.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 3 June 2025
Written with the sneering disaffection of an ex-believer, the hundred-and-twenty-thousand-word letter argued that egalitarianism, far from improving the world, was actually responsible for most of its ills.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for egalitarianism
Cite this Entry
“Egalitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egalitarianism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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