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

Identity 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

A 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

Examples of identity politics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Currently, environmental justice is mired in racial identity politics, from the left and right, that mask the movement’s otherwise objectively important goal of improving the quality of the environment for everyone—albeit with the need to first focus on those most inequitably impacted. —Jerel Ezell, Time, 22 Apr. 2025

In between jokes about identity politics and the taste of urine, massively popular podcaster Theo Von and his most recent show guest debated President Donald Trump’s tariff and trade policy. —Christian Paz, Vox, 14 Apr. 2025

Continue reading … Click here for more cartoons… MEDIA 'WINNING IS EVERYTHING' – James Carville declares identity politics dead after Clinton, Harris failures. —FOXNews.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Newsom breaks with Dems on Trans athletes during Charlie Kirk interview, blasts identity politics Niall Stanage and Stephen Kent discuss Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) interview with Charlie Kirk. —The Hill, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for identity politics

• biopolitics
• bolsheviks
• candlesticks
• crucifix
• intermix
• lunatics
• mensheviks
• orthotics
• politicks
• bricks
• brix
• chicks