ism
[ iz-uhm ]
/ Ë?ɪz É™m /
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noun
a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice: This is the age of isms.
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“Was†is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,†and “were†is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
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Origin of ism
Extracted from words with the suffix -ism
Words nearby ism
islets of Langerhans, Islington, Islip, islomania, isls., ism, Ismael, Ismaili, Ismailia, Ismaʿilian, Ismaʿiliya
Definition for ism (2 of 2)
-ism
a suffix appearing in loanwords from Greek, where it was used to form action nouns from verbs (baptism); on this model, used as a productive suffix in the formation of nouns denoting action or practice, state or condition, principles, doctrines, a usage or characteristic, devotion or adherence, etc. (criticism; barbarism; Darwinism; despotism; plagiarism; realism; witticism; intellectualism).
Origin of -ism
From Greek -ismos, -isma noun suffixes, often directly, often through Latin -ismus, -isma, sometimes through French -isme, German -ismus (all ultimately from Greek )
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for ism
British Dictionary definitions for ism (1 of 3)
ism
/ (Ë?ɪzÉ™m) /
noun
informal, often derogatory an unspecified doctrine, system, or practice
British Dictionary definitions for ism (2 of 3)
ISM
abbreviation for
interstellar medium
British Dictionary definitions for ism (3 of 3)
-ism
suffix forming nouns
indicating an action, process, or resultcriticism; terrorism
indicating a state or conditionpaganism
indicating a doctrine, system, or body of principles and practicesLeninism; spiritualism
indicating behaviour or a characteristic qualityheroism
indicating a characteristic usage, esp of a languagecolloquialism; Scotticism
indicating prejudice on the basis specifiedsexism; ageism
Word Origin for -ism
from Old French -isme, from Latin -ismus, from Greek -ismos
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Medical definitions for ism
-ism
suff.
Action, process; practice:vegetarianism.
Characteristic behavior or quality:puerilism.
State; condition; quality:senilism.
State or condition resulting from an excess of something specified:strychninism.
Doctrine; theory; system of principles:Darwinism.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.