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 themes represented are equally wide-ranging, from identity politics to environmental concerns and social justice.
—Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 22 May 2025
The move on Friday sets Mr. Moore apart from other Democratic governors who have approved similar measures in recent years and comes as the party grapples with the role that identity politics played in its widespread electoral losses last year.
—Laurel Rosenhall, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Aster shoehorns all manner of hot-button topics: identity politics, social media silos, false flag attacks, and the allure of conspiracy theories, all facilitated by the wholesale erosion of truth in the digital age.
—Thomas Page, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
But they’re too invested in identity politics to think anything else.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 13 May 2025
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Suzanne Wright, USA Today, 22 May 2025
The move on Friday sets Mr. Moore apart from other Democratic governors who have approved similar measures in recent years and comes as the party grapples with the role that identity politics played in its widespread electoral losses last year.
—Laurel Rosenhall, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Aster shoehorns all manner of hot-button topics: identity politics, social media silos, false flag attacks, and the allure of conspiracy theories, all facilitated by the wholesale erosion of truth in the digital age.
—Thomas Page, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
But they’re too invested in identity politics to think anything else.
—Noah Rothman, National Review, 13 May 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 31 May. 2025.
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