Supremism

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A belief system that asserts the superiority of a particular group, often concerning race, ethnicity, or ideology, leading to discrimination
2. An ideology that promotes the dominance of one group over others, often accompanied by exclusionary or violent practices
3. The advocacy for the primacy of a social, racial, or cultural group, typically at the expense of others and rooted in inequality

Etymology: "Supremism" is a transparent formation: the adjective "supreme" plus the suffix "-ism", which turns a quality into a noun for a belief or doctrine built around it. "Supreme" comes from Latin "supremus", the superlative of "superus", meaning "upper," itself from "super," "above." At its root, the word is about being highest. The suffix "-ism" reaches English through French and Latin from Greek "-ismos," a noun-forming ending that names a practice, a state, or a system of belief. It is the same ending found in "Buddhism" or "realism." Because both parts are plain, the word needs little decoding: it names a conviction that a particular group or principle should hold the highest position. Its close relative "supremacism" is the form more commonly found in dictionaries, and the two share the same sense.

Synonyms: dominance, superiority, hegemony, preeminence

Antonyms: egalitarianism, inferiority, subordination, subservience