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

… anti-government populism is beginning to give way to the more classic, anti-corporate populism …

—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

There 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

The 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

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

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

Examples of populism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Tech Hamiltonians must also find some means of maintaining their strained coalition with the growing universe of disaffected voters, both on the right and on the left, who identify with some form of populism. —Walter Russell Mead, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2026

Carney said in a time of rising populism and ethnic nationalism, Canada can show how diversity is a strength, not a weakness. —Rob Gillies, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026

For decades, Fidel Castro ruled Cubans with a combination of repression, propaganda and populism. —Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 21 Jan. 2026

Jim then says something along the lines of how fascism, nationalism and populism never returned again. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Jan. 2026

All right, up next, a group of progressive Democratic senators say their party needs to go on the offense against billionaires and big corporations and to embrace a progressive form of populism. —ABC News, 18 Jan. 2026

This was right after a speech in which the senator called on Democrats to embrace economic populism and work on lowering costs for the middle class through such policy moves. —Kelly Evans, CNBC, 15 Jan. 2026

Advertisement This year’s meeting takes place under new leadership, and two of the forum’s new leaders, Borge Brende and André Hoffmann, discuss here how their organization is adapting to an era in which global consensus-forming is out and nationalism and populism are in. —Sam Jacobs, Time, 15 Jan. 2026

Four progressive Democratic senators are telling their colleagues to pivot quickly to economic populism, according to details first shared with Semafor. —semafor.com, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably from popul(ist) entry 1 + -ism

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for populism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism