ism

plural isms

1. An ideology, system of thought, or practice that can be described by a word ending in -ism.

   Isms in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an ism – he should believe in himself.

   1986, John Hughes, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, spoken by Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick)

   5 more examples

   […] his religion, his worship was like his daily bread to him; — which he did not take the trouble to talk much about; which he merely ate at stated intervals, and lived and did his work upon! This is Abbot Samson’s Catholicism of the Twelfth Century; — something like the Ism of all true men in all true centuries, I fancy! Alas, compared with any of the Isms current in these poor days, what a thing!

   1843, Thomas Carlyle, chapter XV, in Past and Present, book 2

   If it gives way to sentimentalism, or sensibility, or political mysticism, or adopts an affectation of radicalism, or any other ism, or molds its institutions so as to round out to a more complete fulfillment somebody's theory of the universe, it may fall into an era of revolution and political insecurity […]

   1887 August, W[illiam] G[raham] Sumner, “State Interference”, in North American Review

   An ism does not have to possess the fearful implements of state power to cut off a deviant or heretical member.

   1965, Bertram David Wolfe, Marxism, One Hundred Years in the Life of a Doctrine, page 357

   In his exposition, he has failed to achieve the identification of situation, theory, and policy necessary to create an ism.

   1969, Walter E. Minchinton, Mercantilism; System Or Expediency?, page xi

   It is important to distinguish between an ism and a mere generalization about group differences. Generalizations that have statistical validity are not isms. An ism assumes that the generalization applies to an individual.

   1994, Kenneth Kaye, Workplace Wars and How to End Them, page 70

   Synonyms: whateverism

   1. A form of discrimination, such as racism or sexism.

      Parents and educators play a critical role in helping children of all ages navigate current events and talk openly about the historical roots of the various ‘isms in our country.

      2020 June 6, Lisa Selin Davis, “Children aren’t born racist. Here’s how parents can stop them from becoming racist.”, in CNN, spoken by Sarah Gaither, archived from the original on 19 Jan 2024

      Synonyms: whateverism

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Institute for Supply Management.

   The ISM report came as another worrying sign following last month's surprisingly low number, which ended a 34-month growth streak.

   2012 August 1, Emily Jane Fox, “U.S. manufacturing contracts again”, in CNN Money, archived from the original on 25 May 2025

2. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Indian Summer Monsoon.

plural ISMs

1. abbreviationinitialismInitialism of Imperial Service Medal.
2. abbreviationastronomyAbbreviation of interstellar medium.
3. abbreviationinitialismRF telecommunicationsInitialism of industrial scientific medical.