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 The hallmark of socialism is control of the means of production. James K. Glassman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Capitalism, unlike socialism, develops as a spontaneous order from below. Rainer Zitelmann, Space.com, 11 Aug. 2026 And socialism, everywhere it's been tried around the world, has failed in two fundamental ways. ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for socialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for socialism
liberalism
Noun
  • But, outside of cosmopolitan sections of Tel Aviv, Herzliya, and Haifa, the liberalism that fuelled his humor couldn’t be taken for granted.
    Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
  • 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

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“Socialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/socialism. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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