leftism

noun

left·​ism ˈlef-ˌti-zəm 

variants or less commonly Leftism

1

: the principles and views of the political Left (see left entry 2 sense 3a)

also : the movement embodying these principles

2

: advocacy of or adherence to the doctrines of the Left

leftist

ˈlef-tist 

adjective

leftist noun

or less commonly Leftist

plural leftists also Leftists

Synonyms

• liberalism

Examples of leftism in a Sentence

the candidate's opponents are working overtime to paint him as a champion of extreme leftism

Recent Examples on the Web

Paul's post even garnered praise from the left-wing content account Leftism. —Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 5 June 2025

For instance, green anarchists were enthralled with his critique of technology while neo-Nazis, generally speaking, ignore the critique of technology and focus solely on the critique of leftism. —Hady Mawajdeh, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018

Woke leftism is part of the left's war on Western civilization and the values of the American republic and constitutes the single greatest threat to the country's future. —Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Apr. 2025

In the February 1984 issue: Latin America: A media stereotype Over time, Vargas Llosa realized that this kind of reflexive leftism was naive. —Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for leftism

• ism
• pisum
• prism
• schism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism
• anticommunism
• antisemitism
• antiterrorism
• bioterrorism
• colloquialism