communism

noun

com·​mu·​nism ˈkäm-yə-ˌni-zəm 

-yü-

1

or Communism

a

: a doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism

Note: This doctrine was the official ideology of the Soviet Union.

… was shocked when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and tried to put it under the heel of communism.

—The New Republic

b

: a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production

c

: a final stage of society in Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are distributed equitably

d

: communist systems collectively

The 1960s were marked by international efforts to contain the spread of communism …

—Silvia Solis

2

a

: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed

… how it was that communism, starting with high idealism, became through Leninism such a monstrosity.

—Lucian W. Pye

b

: a theory advocating elimination of private property

Usage of Communism

The word communism as currently used usually refers to the political and economic ideologies originating from Karl Marx's theory of revolutionary socialism, which advocates a proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures within a society; societal and communal ownership and governance of the means of production; and the eventual establishment of a classless society.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between communism and socialism?

English speakers generally use the word communism to talk about political and economic ideologies that find their origin in Karl Marx’s theory of revolutionary socialism, which advocates a proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures within a society; societal and communal ownership and governance of the means of production; and the eventual establishment of a classless society. The most well-known expression of Marx’s theories is the 20th-century Bolshevism of the U.S.S.R., in which the state, through a single authoritarian party, controlled a society’s economic and social activities with the goal of realizing Marx’s theories. Socialism refers to a system of social organization in which private property and the distribution of income are subject to social control. The conception of that control has varied significantly over time. In the modern era, "pure" socialism has been seen only rarely and usually briefly in a few Communist regimes.

What exactly is communism?

When it was first used in the mid-19th century, communism referred to an economic and political theory that advocated the elimination of private property and the common sharing of all resources among a group of people; in this use, it was often used interchangeably with the word socialism. Today, the word communism usually refers to the political and economic ideologies originating from Karl Marx's theory of revolutionary socialism, which advocates a proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures within a society; societal and communal ownership and governance of the means of production; and the eventual establishment of a classless society.

What countries are communist?

The countries of China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and North Korea are the existing countries typically identified as being communist.

Examples of communism in a Sentence

On one side stood Hitler, fascism, the myth of German supremacy; on the other side stood Stalin, communism, and the international proletarian revolution. —Anne Applebaum, New York Review of Books, 25 Oct. 2007

… I grew up in an idyllic midwestern town in the 1950's, when America was obsessed with the threat of communism. In Lawrence, Kansas, people felt the cold war as something real and very close. In the first grade, my teacher pointed to a giant orange blob on the map. That was Russia, Mrs. Postma announced. They were bigger than we were, and they were out to destroy us. —Sara Paretsky, Booklist, 1 May 2003

Like me, he has lived his adult life in the context of the cold war. He was … in some sense always justified, at the back of his mind, by a concept of freedom, of America, that took sharpness from contrast with Communism. —John Updike, New York Times Book Review, 5 Aug. 1990

Communism is a religion of the state, committed to the extinction of the Church. —Flannery O'Connor, The Habit Of Being, 1979

Recent Examples on the Web

Cheney also drew criticism for opposing sanctions on apartheid-era South Africa and a resolution calling for Nelson Mandela’s release, citing concerns about the African National Congress’s ties to violence and communism at the time. —Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025

Unlike communism and other authoritarian systems of government, democratic socialists believe in democracy. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025

Over time, the congress fostered a transnational network of culturally influential elites who favored liberal democracy over communism and Marxism. —Tetiana Kotelnykova, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2025

In America, people think social democracy is some kind of communism. —E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French communisme, from commun common

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for communism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Kids Definition

communism

noun

com·​mu·​nism ˈkäm-yə-ˌniz-əm 

1

: a social system in which property and goods are owned in common

also : a theory that favors such a system

2

capitalized : a system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production with the aim of establishing a stateless society