Ideologically

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a way that pertains to a system of ideas or beliefs, especially influencing social, political, or economic behavior
2. Relating to actions or thoughts shaped by a specific framework of principles or theories, often within societal contexts
3. In a manner connected to a set of principles that influence attitudes, behaviors, and policies within various domains, especially in society

Etymology: The word is built from "ideological" plus the adverbial ending "-ly," which in Old English was "-līċe," a descendant of a Proto-Germanic word meaning "body-like" or "form-like," so the ending carries the sense of "in the manner of." Tracing "ideological" further, its core is "ideology," a formation from the Greek "idea," meaning a form or appearance, combined with "-logy," the study of something. "Ideological" itself rests on two layers of suffixes. The "-al" and "-ic" endings were added through Latin and Old French before arriving in English, and together they turn "ideology" into an adjective meaning "relating to ideology." Adding "-ly" then produces an adverb describing action carried out in that manner. The word's Greek core is a useful reminder that "idea" once meant something visible: a shape or outward look. Only later did it come to mean a mental notion, and the modern sense of "ideology" as a system of beliefs grew from that mental meaning.

Synonyms: philosophically, theoretically

Antonyms: practically