communalism

noun

com·​mu·​nal·​ism kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce communalism (audio)
1
: social organization on a communal basis
2
: loyalty to a sociopolitical grouping based on religious or ethnic affiliation
communalist noun or adjective

Examples of communalism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This is a fascinating lens on the two faces of modern American individualism, as is the characterization of another recent shift back to a different, darker brand of communalism than that of the mid 20th century. Susan Harmeling, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024 This pattern remains basically unchanged, though more and more young women and men reject such communalism as outmoded today, and refuse to participate. Dennis Zhou, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023 Bulatov’s and Kabakov’s inversions of such themes evoked a somber and meditative mood that emphasized the persistence of loneliness against the backdrop of compulsory communalism. Jennifer Wilson, Harper's Magazine, 11 May 2022 The country was characterized by a similar blend of individualism and communalism at its founding and in its early decades, when Tocqueville in the 1830s credited the blending of the two with America’s success in creating the world’s first mass democracy. Win McCormack, The New Republic, 17 Sep. 2020 Freeing the financial sector, reducing government involvement in industry, and shifting from communalism to individualism have a lot more to do with Israel’s flourishing than industrial policy. Sagi Barmak, National Review, 30 Mar. 2023 The kinship with the hacker ethic is not incidental: This kind of psychedelic kitchen science shares a genealogy with personal computing, both with roots in 1970s Northern California counterculture and its communalism, pragmatism, and eco-modern aesthetic. Joanna Steinhardt, Wired, 12 Feb. 2021 Suddenly their communalism looks like little more than cruel tribalism. Jennifer Wilson, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2022 Despite India being the world's largest democracy, and constitutionally secular, the BJP has repeatedly stoked the flames of communalism, othering Muslims, branding them dangerous and violent. Akanksha Singh and Roshan Abbas, CNN, 19 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'communalism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of communalism was in 1897

Dictionary Entries Near communalism

Cite this Entry

“Communalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communalism. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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