Communism

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: [ˈkɒm.ju.nɪ.zm̩]

Definitions

1. A political and economic system where property and resources are collectively owned by the community, with the aim of eliminating class distinctions
2. An ideology advocating for the collective ownership of means of production and the absence of social classes, promoting equality and shared wealth among members of society
3. A socio-economic system characterized by the communal ownership of resources and the elimination of private property, seeking to create a classless and stateless society

Etymology: The word's most surprising feature is how recent it is. The idea of common ownership is ancient, but the term arrived in English as a borrowing from French "communisme", itself built from "commun" ("common") and the suffix "-isme", the French form of "-ism". Its roots run back through Latin "commūnis", which combined "com-" ("together") with "mūnis", a root linked to duties and obligations, so the core notion is things held together by shared responsibility. The "-ism" ending does the real work here. It takes a base word and turns it into a doctrine or system, so "communism" names a belief or programme rather than a state of being common. That is why the word reads as a political label: the suffix converts a shared quality into an organised set of principles.

Synonyms: Marxism, socialism

Antonyms: capitalism, individualism