Communism is the political belief that all people are equal and that workers should control the means of producing things.
...the ultimate triumph of communism in the world.
Synonyms: socialism, Marxism, Stalinism, collectivism More Synonyms of communism
communism in British English
(ˈkɒmjʊˌnɪzəm)
noun
1.
advocacy of a classless society in which private ownership has been abolished and the means of production and subsistence belong to the community
2.
any social, economic, or political movement or doctrine aimed at achieving such a society
3. (usually capital)
a political movement based upon the writings of Marx that considers history in terms of class conflict and revolutionary struggle, resulting eventually in the victory of the proletariat and the establishment of a socialist order based on public ownership of the means of production
See also Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, socialism
4. (usually capital)
a social order or system of government established by a ruling Communist Party, esp in the former Soviet Union
5. (often capital) mainly US
any leftist political activity or thought, esp when considered to be subversive
6.
communal living; communalism
Word origin
C19: from French communisme, from communcommon
communism in American English
(ˈkɑmjuˌnɪzəm; ˈkɑmjəˌnɪzəm)
noun
1.
any economic theory or system based on the ownership of all property by the community as a whole
2. [oftenC-]
a.
a hypothetical stage of socialism, as formulated by Marx, Engels, Lenin, and others, to be characterized by a classless and stateless society and the equal distribution of economic goods, and to be achieved by revolutionary and dictatorial, rather than gradualistic, means
b.
the form of government of various, esp. former, socialist states which profess to be working toward this stage by means of state planning and control of the economy, a one-party political structure, and an emphasis on the requirements of the state rather than on individual liberties
see also socialism
3. [oftenC-]
a.
a political movement for establishing a communist system
b.
the doctrines, methods, etc. of the Communist parties
4. Loosely
communalism
5. Loosely
any political ideas or activity thought of as being leftist or subversive
Word origin
Fr communisme < commun (< OFr comun) + isme: see common & -ism
Examples of 'communism' in a sentence
communism
Psychoanalysis offers a means of reversing those early traumas, communism offers a way of restructuring society towards a utopia.
Stewart, Michael GRACE (1989)
`Some people believe in the ideology of communism ," Cross said.
Wright, Richard THE OUTSIDER (1989)
In other languages
communism
British English: communism /ˈkɒmjʊˌnɪzəm/ NOUN
Communism is the political belief that all people are equal and that workers should control the means of producing things.
...Karl Marx, the father of modern-day communism.
American English: communism
Arabic: شُيُوعِيَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: comunismo
Chinese: 共产主义
Croatian: komunizam
Czech: komunismus
Danish: kommunisme
Dutch: communisme
European Spanish: comunismo
Finnish: kommunismi
French: communisme
German: Kommunismus
Greek: κομουνισμός
Italian: comunismo
Japanese: 共産主義
Korean: 공산주의
Norwegian: kommunisme
Polish: komunizm
European Portuguese: comunismo
Romanian: comunism
Russian: коммунизм
Latin American Spanish: comunismo
Swedish: kommunism
Thai: ระบบคอมมิวนิสต์
Turkish: komünizm
Ukrainian: комунізм
Vietnamese: chủ nghĩa cộng sản
Chinese translation of 'communism'
communism
(ˈkɔmjunɪzəm)
n(u)
共产(產)主义(義) (gòngchǎn zhǔyì)
(noun)
Definition
the belief that private ownership should be abolished and all work and property should be shared by the community