| 释义 |
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2024ism /ˈɪzəm/USA pronunciation n. [countable]- a distinctive belief, theory, system, or practice;
anything that could be referred to by a word with the suffix -ism:capitalism, socialism, and other isms.
-ism, suffix. - -ism is attached to verb roots to form action nouns:baptize → bapt- + -ism → baptism.
- -ism is used to form nouns showing action or practice:adventure + -ism → adventurism (= the action or practice of taking risks in intervening in international affairs).
- -ism is used to form nouns showing state or condition:alcoholism (= disease or condition in which alcohol is involved).
- -ism is attached to roots to form nouns showing the names of principles or doctrines:Darwinism (= principles of Darwin's theory of evolution); despotism.
- -ism is used to form nouns showing an example of a use:witticism (= example of something witty);Africanism (= word from Africa or from an African language).
Compare -ist,-ize. WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2024ism (iz′əm),USA pronunciation n. - a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice:This is the age of isms.
- extracted from words with the suffix -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). Cf. -ist, -ize.
- Greek)
- Greek -ismos, -isma noun, nominal suffixes, often directly, often through Latin -ismus, -isma, sometimes through French -isme, German -ismus (all ultimately
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: ism /ˈɪzəm/ n - informal often derogatory an unspecified doctrine, system, or practice
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers:: -ism suffix forming nouns - indicating an action, process, or result: criticism, terrorism
- indicating a state or condition: paganism
- indicating a doctrine, system, or body of principles and practices: Leninism, spiritualism
- indicating behaviour or a characteristic quality: heroism
- indicating a characteristic usage, esp of a language: colloquialism, Scotticism
- indicating prejudice on the basis specified: sexism, ageism
Etymology: from Old French -isme, from Latin -ismus, from Greek -ismos |