ideologue

noun

ideo·​logue ˈī-dē-ə-ˌlȯg 

-ˌläg

variants or less commonly idealogue

1

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

2

: an impractical idealist : theorist

Synonyms of ideologue

• partisan
• militant
• activist
• crusader

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 on the Web

At that time, millions of Iraqis joined the protests and demanded the downfall of a corrupt political system midwifed by Beltway hawks and neoconservative ideologues, which has ended up beholden to the mullahs of Iran. —Nabil Salih, Time, 4 Dec. 2025

Against the ideologues, Boyle portrayed Goethe as a changeable creature, beholden to historical shifts in power but able to turn them to his advantage with daring and dignity. —Merve Emre, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025

Third parties, which are usually based on fringe views or a sense of grievance, are vehicles for ideologues, provocateurs and contrarians whose appeal is as limited as their problem-solving skills. —Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025

The author’s background perfectly positions her to deliver this lively, devastating taxonomy and critique of MAGA’s ideologues. —George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French idéologue, back-formation from idéologie

First Known Use

1815, in the meaning defined at sense 2