socialism

Definition of socialismnext
as in liberalism
a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government rather than by individual people and companies an ardent opponent of socialism

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of socialism Today, Paine’s delusional sense of the possible has resurfaced in the enthusiasm of many young people for socialism. George F. Will, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2026 Moderate voters have the power to stop socialism in its tracks. Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2026 The surging popularity of democratic socialism on the left wing of American politics reflects the same dynamic—an embrace of socialism in theory that is, in practice, a complaint about malfunctioning consumer capitalism. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 According to polling, young people favor socialism more than capitalism. Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for socialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for socialism
liberalism
Noun
  • Right’s multiculturalism Meanwhile, the American right was increasingly united less by biological notions of race and more by opposition to multiculturalism, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and liberalism.
    Eladio Bobadilla, Mercury News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The 11th Congressional District territory has long been a central hub of American liberalism, in and around iconic neighborhoods such as Castro, Haight-Ashbury, Chinatown, and the Mission District.
    Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026

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“Socialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/socialism. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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