identity politics
noun
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: politics in which groups of people having a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social, or cultural identity tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group
Although the UCLA center's standards promoted rigorous history, they set off a major culture war because of their relentless emphasis on identity politics.—
Diane Ravitch
Diane RavitchIdentity politics is contemporary shorthand for a group's assertion that it is a meaningful group; that it differs significantly from other groups; that its members share a history of injustice and grievance; and that its psychological and political mission is to explore, act out, act on and act up its group identity.—Catharine R. Stimpson
Catharine R. StimpsonA number of critics have viewed her work through a lens of identity politics, taking her to be some sort of oracle of Muslim womanhood.—Lauren Collins
Lauren CollinsExamples of identity politics in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The retired justice suggested that identity politics, or characterizing a person by their partisan affiliation, is not conducive to democracy and civil discourse.
—Ella Lee, The Hill, 26 June 2025
Gaines also hosts a podcast about identity politics in sports and other political topics.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
On issue after issue — guns, property taxes, transgender rights — Republicans will try to trap Jolly, forcing him to play identity politics, likely a losing proposition.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 7 June 2025
Smith has expressed his dissatisfaction with both sides of the political aisle, criticizing how Democrats handled governing the country over the last four years, particularly with open borders, high spending, identity politics and cancel culture.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for identity politics
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Ella Lee, The Hill, 26 June 2025
Gaines also hosts a podcast about identity politics in sports and other political topics.
—Antonio Pequeño Iv, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
On issue after issue — guns, property taxes, transgender rights — Republicans will try to trap Jolly, forcing him to play identity politics, likely a losing proposition.
—Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 7 June 2025
Smith has expressed his dissatisfaction with both sides of the political aisle, criticizing how Democrats handled governing the country over the last four years, particularly with open borders, high spending, identity politics and cancel culture.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for identity politics
Cite this Entry
“Identity politics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20politics. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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