leftism

noun

left·ism | \ ˈlef-ˌti-zəm

\

Definition of leftism

1 : the principles and views of the left also : the movement embodying these principles

2 : advocacy of or adherence to the doctrines of the left

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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

The fall of the Soviet Union reduced American concerns about Latin American leftism. — Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, "The Return of James Monroe," 6 Aug. 2018 But there are signs that the groundswell of hard-leftism is having an effect on more mainstream, national candidates. — Adam Shaw, Fox News, "Socialism rises in Democratic Party as primary season of upsets comes to close," 18 Sep. 2018 The new university would just try to be the best in the nation—offering a substantial curriculum untainted by mandatory leftism. — John Leo, WSJ, "‘The University We Need’ Review: Rethinking College," 18 July 2018 Max had been a brilliant and leading organizer of the Yiddish Bund, a humane form of non-Communist leftism that attracted tens of thousands of adherents in prerevolutionary Russia, Lithuania and Poland. — Dagmar Herzog, New York Times, "Surviving Europe’s Horrendous 20th Century," 6 Apr. 2018 Arcata is a Northern California hot spot of trendy leftism that in 1989 prohibited the manufacture or storage of nuclear weapons within city limits. — Karl Rove, WSJ, "The Pitchforks Are Out for McKinley," 4 Apr. 2018 The Left has always opposed nationalism because leftism is rooted in class solidarity, not national solidarity. — Dennis Prager, National Review, "Leftism Is Not Liberalism," 12 Sep. 2017 Given the president’s leftism, his most ideologically consistent option would be to stop paying, as Argentina did in 2001. — The Economist, "How long can Venezuela avoid default?," 2 Nov. 2017 But Isaac’s deeper point is that tribal leftism has not affected Democratic politics the way tribal rightism has infected the Republicans. — Andrew Sullivan, Daily Intelligencer, "It’s Win-Win When Trump and the Democrats Work Together," 22 Sep. 2017

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

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Dictionary Entries near leftism

left-hand screw thread

left-luggage office

Statistics for leftism

Last Updated

7 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for leftism

The first known use of leftism was in 1880

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