ideology

noun

ide·ol·o·gy | \ ˌī-dē-ˈä-lə-jē

, ˌi-

variants: or less commonly idealogy \ ˌī-dē-ˈä-lə-jē

, -ˈa- , ˌi- \

plural ideologies

Definition of ideology

1a : a manner or the content of thinking characteristic of an individual, group, or culture

b : the integrated assertions, theories and aims that constitute a sociopolitical program

c : a systematic body of concepts especially about human life or culture

2 : visionary theorizing

Other Words from ideology Synonyms What Does ideology Mean? Example Sentences Learn More about ideology

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What Does ideology Mean?

Ideology has been in use in English since the end of the 18th century and is one of the few words whose coiner we can identify. The French writer A. L. C. Destutt de Tracy proposed it as a term to designate the “science of ideas,” and in that sense the word was quickly borrowed into English. Though ideology originated as a serious philosophical term, within a few decades it took on connotations of impracticality thanks to Napoleon, who used it in a derisive manner. Today, the word most often refers to “a systematic body of concepts,” especially those of a particular group or political party.

Examples of ideology in a Sentence

the ideology of a totalitarian society He says that the election is not about ideology.

Recent Examples on the Web

The military was predominately responsible for overthrowing dictator Marcos Perez Jimenez in 1958 and under the constitution holds no allegiance to any political party or ideology. — Fabiola Sanchez, The Seattle Times, "AP Explains: Venezuela opposition’s fight to win over troops," 20 Feb. 2019 The desire to belong shapes American opinions Our findings are in keeping with a growing political science literature on how the desire to conform to group norms shapes ideology. — Benjamin Toff, Washington Post, "How worried are you about an impending trade war? That might depend on what your fellow party members think," 12 July 2018 The majority was categorized as holding Islamist-extremist views – 82 percent, according to Home Office statistics – but the proportion of those holding far-right ideologies has increased too, the statistics show. — Sara Miller Llana, The Christian Science Monitor, "The vicious circle of Islamist terrorism and far-right extremism," 6 July 2018 Because of the evaluations’ breadth, our scores can also provide information on judicial traits other than political ideology: ability, temperament, trial practice or oral argument style, settlement style and opinion quality. — Kevin Cope, Washington Post, "Exactly how conservative are the judges on Trump’s short list for the Supreme Court? Take a look at this one chart.," 7 July 2018 Other pro-India political parties said the alliance was bound to collapse, given the two parties' different political ideologies. — Aijaz Hussain, The Christian Science Monitor, "India takes control of Kashmir territory," 25 June 2018 Many of the people who live in this area are incredibly skeptical of anything that has a liberal, political ideology to it. — Megan Ditrolio, Marie Claire, "Fracking: The Environmental Crisis in Our Backyard," 13 June 2018 The connection between McCall’s faith and his political ideology flows directly through the Constitution. — Jasper Scherer, San Antonio Express-News, "CD 21 candidate Matt McCall wants to shake up Washington," 13 May 2018 Each spy was pledged to no one ideology, but rather the complete obliteration of the other – and every plan ultimately backfired in their arms race to nowhere. — Michael J. Socolow, Smithsonian, "In its Heyday, Mad Magazine Was a Lot More Than Silly Jokes," 11 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ideology.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.