populism
noun
pop·u·lism
ˈpä-pyə-ˌli-zəm 
plural populisms
1
: a political philosophy or movement that represents or is claimed to represent the interests of ordinary people especially against the Establishment (see establishment sense 2a)
Populism usually arises from a general discontent. … People feel that things are out of control, socially and economically. … The idea that this is the fault of the meritocratic elite is an easy sell.—
Nicholas Lemann
Nicholas Lemann… anti-government populism is beginning to give way to the more classic, anti-corporate populism …—Leslie Savan
Leslie Savan… Elizabeth Warren summoned the familiar and fiery spirits of Democratic populism. "Our job is to fight for the families of America," the Massachusetts Senator yelled over applause. … "Stitch up the tax loopholes so that millionaires and billionaires pay at the same tax rate as the people in this room."—Jay Newton-Small
Jay Newton-SmallThere are few things more terrifying than demagogic populism, sharpened dangerously into authoritarian rule, with minorities left at the mercy of those now in charge of writing and enforcing the laws.—George Takei
George TakeiThe move comes amid a rise in economic populism in the GOP, Republican strategist John Feehery told the Washington Examiner. Even as the party writ large is generally supportive of the business community, an insurgent crop of Republican lawmakers is pursuing a more working-class-friendly agenda …—Samantha-Jo Roth
Samantha-Jo Roth
sometimes, specifically
: the political and economic doctrines advocated by the Populists (see populist entry 1 sense 1b)
… the nativist populism of the 1890s, the political and social movement of poor and dispossessed farmers who saw the source of their plight as the controllers of money and the rule of gold … —Daniel Bell
Daniel Bell 2
: general concern for ordinary people
… a profile of James Brown in Look, in February of 1969. The article celebrated Mr. Brown's business empire … and his populism (traveling a hundred thousand miles a year to reach three million fans where they lived; capping ticket prices at five dollars for adults and ninety-nine cents for children under twelve) …—Philip Gourevitch
Philip GourevitchExamples of populism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The relationship between corruption and the modern incarnation of right-wing populism is twofold, in that populists often run against corruption and then behave corruptly.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
But the initial defeat reflected a deepening crisis that extends beyond Germany to governments across Europe: deindustrialization, dwindling growth, and a lack of liberal solutions are converging to drive disgruntled voters towards hateful, far-right populism.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
The politics of the Republican Party have changed since 2017, too, shifting from Tea Party austerity toward working class populism.
—Sarah Kliff, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Resentments and goals may differ from country to country, but populism is fueled everywhere by the promise of undoing the mistakes of the past.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
There is lots of evidence that there is at least a stout plurality in American politics that rejects the wild-eyed populism that has dominated the debates in both major political parties for the past decade.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 29 Apr. 2025
With the threat of global communism in the rearview, Vargas Llosa came to view populism as the greatest threat to democracy.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Apr. 2025
Francis, whose pontificate was a counterweight to the rise of nationalist populism, often found himself under fire from powerful conservative Catholic forces in the US.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
So the effort by some Democrats to reinvigorate their party’s economic agenda with a populism that identifies Trump and Republicans in Congress with corporate America and wealthy titans of industry isn’t necessarily something to sneer at, some Republicans tell me.
—David M. Drucker, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
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Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 16 May 2025
But the initial defeat reflected a deepening crisis that extends beyond Germany to governments across Europe: deindustrialization, dwindling growth, and a lack of liberal solutions are converging to drive disgruntled voters towards hateful, far-right populism.
—Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
The politics of the Republican Party have changed since 2017, too, shifting from Tea Party austerity toward working class populism.
—Sarah Kliff, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Resentments and goals may differ from country to country, but populism is fueled everywhere by the promise of undoing the mistakes of the past.
—Margaret MacMillan, The Atlantic, 30 Apr. 2025
There is lots of evidence that there is at least a stout plurality in American politics that rejects the wild-eyed populism that has dominated the debates in both major political parties for the past decade.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 29 Apr. 2025
With the threat of global communism in the rearview, Vargas Llosa came to view populism as the greatest threat to democracy.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 21 Apr. 2025
Francis, whose pontificate was a counterweight to the rise of nationalist populism, often found himself under fire from powerful conservative Catholic forces in the US.
—Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 21 Apr. 2025
So the effort by some Democrats to reinvigorate their party’s economic agenda with a populism that identifies Trump and Republicans in Congress with corporate America and wealthy titans of industry isn’t necessarily something to sneer at, some Republicans tell me.
—David M. Drucker, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Populism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populism. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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