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
Such a party would ditch the post-2008 obsession with identity politics and wokeism and revert to the Clinton-era message of economic growth and cultural centrism.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Another professor, Alma (Julia Roberts), is the first person Maggie speaks to about what happened, and Alma’s reaction sets up the film’s faceted examination of privilege, identity politics, and what goes on in a cloistered community hamstrung by its own mores.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
The penchant for identity politics has become passé on the left and subject to critique.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025
Some critics of the policies say the conservative right has weaponized identity politics to attack minority groups.
—Reuters, NBC news, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for identity politics
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
Another professor, Alma (Julia Roberts), is the first person Maggie speaks to about what happened, and Alma’s reaction sets up the film’s faceted examination of privilege, identity politics, and what goes on in a cloistered community hamstrung by its own mores.
—Marley Marius, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2025
The penchant for identity politics has become passé on the left and subject to critique.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2025
Some critics of the policies say the conservative right has weaponized identity politics to attack minority groups.
—Reuters, NBC news, 3 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2025.
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