Activism

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæk.tɪ.vɪ.zəm/

Definitions

1. The practice of working to bring about social or political change through direct action and advocacy
2. vigorous engagement in advocating for social or political reform through organized protest, advocacy, and direct action
3. the committed pursuit of social or political transformation by means of organized campaigns, demonstrations, and public pressure

Etymology: Activism is a plain compound built from "active" and the suffix "-ism", so its history is mostly the history of its parts. "Active" came into English in the late Middle Ages from Old French "actif", which in turn came from Latin "activus", meaning doing or acting. Latin "activus" was itself formed from "agere", "to do" or "to drive", and the Latin suffix "-ivus" appended to it. The sense of forceful, purposeful action carried over into English. The suffix "-ism" has a different lineage. It descends from Ancient Greek "-ismos", a noun-forming ending used for actions, states, and doctrines, and English adopted it widely to name systems of belief or practice, such as "Methodism" or "socialism". Attaching it to "active" produced a name for a doctrine or practice of acting vigorously for a cause. The word thus signals a commitment to action rather than mere opinion. Its meaning of working for social change is a fairly recent specialization of this general sense.

Synonyms: campaigning, advocacy, protest, action, engagement

Antonyms: apathy, indifference, passivity, inaction, complacency