communism

noun

com·​mu·​nism ˈkäm-yə-ˌni-zəm How to pronounce communism (audio)
-yü-
1
a
: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
b
: a theory advocating elimination of private property
2
or Communism
a
: a doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism that was the official ideology of the Soviet Union
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

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 After the fall of communism, the question arose as to how the pro-democracy camp could take over state institutions that had been controlled so completely by the communists. Foreign Affairs, 12 Mar. 2024 His father, a businessman, stepped in to rescue the team during the turbulent transition from communism to a market economy in the 1990s, when its main sponsor, the local steelworks, faced bankruptcy. Karel Janicek, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2024 Joe Carrillo, 68, secured a restraining order earlier this month against Otaola, a conservative Cuban-American running a campaign that pledges to rid Miami-Dade County of communism. Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 They were consciously constructed in the early years of the Cold War with a specific purpose in mind: containing the spread of global communism. Henry Olsen, National Review, 22 Feb. 2024 People used to joke during communism too: Humor was their main survival mechanism. Marta Balaga, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 Nixon, who built his political career on opposition to communism, nevertheless had long wanted to go to China, and the Chinese were willing. Thomas W. Lippman, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023 There may be no going back without the collapse of communism on the mainland. Doug Bandow, National Review, 10 Feb. 2024 The group’s long-term goals were ambitious: to expose the Chinese Communist Party and to save the world in a supernatural war against communism. Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

French communisme, from commun common

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Time Traveler
The first known use of communism was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near communism

Cite this Entry

“Communism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communism. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

communism

noun
com·​mu·​nism ˈkäm-yə-ˌniz-əm How to pronounce communism (audio)
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 party controls state-owned means of production with the aim of establishing a stateless society
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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