ideologue

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noun ideo·logue \ ˈī-dē-ə-ˌlȯg , -ˌläg \

variants: or less commonly idealogue

Definition of ideologue

1 :an impractical idealist :theorist

2 :an often blindly partisan advocate or adherent of a particular ideology

See ideologue defined for English-language learners

Examples of ideologue in a Sentence

as long as there are ideologues controlling both sides of the aisle, legislative compromise is out of the question
the revolutionaries proved to be impractical ideologues who had no idea how to run a country

Recent Examples of ideologue from the Web

The settlement, named for a prominent female ideologue killed in combat in 2009, is located high up on lush green mountains that have long been a FARC stronghold and was witness to some of the conflict’s worst atrocities.

— christine armario, The Seattle Times, "Colombia takes big step to peace as rebels lay down guns," 27 June 2017
But his lengthy exit letter—a document that, when it was leaked to the public, was taken as a laughable manifesto—casts him as a purist and maybe even an ideologue.

— nathaniel friedman, GQ, "Sam Hinkie Saw the Future," 19 June 2017
Sekulow, 61, is heretofore best known as a legal ideologue with his own popular conservative talk show, devoted to defending the causes of the Christian right.

— andy cush, Billboard, "Donald Trump's Lawyer Plays in a Republican Rock Band With the Ex-Singer of Kansas," 19 June 2017
Xavi, walking ideologue of Barcelona's philosophy, opens the scoring.

— henry young, CNN, "Just how 'Great' is Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid?," 2 June 2017
Binali, a Bahraini who was about 32 years old, was regarded as one of the group's most influential ideologues and preachers.

— tim lister, hamdi alkhshali and paul cruickshank, CNN, "Top ISIS figure killed in Syria," 1 June 2017
The circumstances and whereabouts of the death of Turki al-Binali, a Bahraini cleric who rose to be one of the group’s leading ideologues, were conflicting.

— sarah el deeb, The Seattle Times, "Syrian activists: IS news agency’s founder killed in strike," 1 June 2017
Putin, Orban and PiS ideologue Jaroslaw Kaczynski aren’t isolationists, either.

— leonid bershidsky, Twin Cities, "Leonid Bershidsky: Why big cities will prevail over nationalism," 18 Apr. 2017
Both the Senate and House are full of members who won’t stand up to their party’s ideologues or financial backers.

— carl cannon, Orange County Register, "Why Obamacare is still the law of the land," 2 Apr. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of ideologue

French idéologue, back-formation from idéologie

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1815

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ideologue Synonyms

Synonyms

crusader, fanatic, zealot (also idealogue), militant, partisan (also partizan), red hot, true believer

Antonyms

nonmilitant

Related Words

activist; dreamer, idealist, visionary; cultist, disciple, follower, hanger-on, idolizer, votary; addict, aficionado (also afficionado), buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fan, fancier, fiend, fool, freak, habitué (also habitue), head, hound, junkie (also junky), lover, maniac, maven (also mavin), nut, sucker; advocate, apostle, backer, champion, evangelist, patron, promoter, stalwart, supporter; booster, rooter, well-wisher; faddist

Near Antonyms

dabbler, dilettante

Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

IDEOLOGUE Defined for English Language Learners

ideologue

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noun

Definition of ideologue for English Language Learners

: someone who very strongly supports and is guided by the ideology of a particular group

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See words that rhyme with ideologue Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ideologue Nglish: Translation of ideologue for Spanish speakers

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ideologue

Definition of ideologue

Examples of ideologue in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ideologue from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ideologue

ideologue Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Other Sociology Terms

IDEOLOGUE Defined for English Language Learners

ideologue

Definition of ideologue for English Language Learners

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ideologue

Definition of ideologue

From the M-W Editors

Examples of ideologue in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ideologue from the Web

Origin and Etymology of ideologue

ideologue Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

Other Sociology Terms

IDEOLOGUE Defined for English Language Learners

ideologue

Definition of ideologue for English Language Learners

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