communism

noun

com·​mu·​nism ˈkäm-yə-ˌni-zəm 

-yü-

1

a

: a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed

b

: a theory advocating elimination of private property

2

or Communism

a

: a doctrine based on revolutionary Marxian socialism and Marxism-Leninism that was the official ideology of the Soviet Union

b

: a totalitarian system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production

c

: a final stage of society in Marxist theory in which the state has withered away and economic goods are distributed equitably

d

: communist systems collectively

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between communism and socialism?

English speakers generally use the word communism to talk about political and economic ideologies that find their origin in Karl Marx’s theory of revolutionary socialism, which advocates a proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures within a society; societal and communal ownership and governance of the means of production; and the eventual establishment of a classless society. The most well-known expression of Marx’s theories is the 20th-century Bolshevism of the U.S.S.R., in which the state, through a single authoritarian party, controlled a society’s economic and social activities with the goal of realizing Marx’s theories. Socialism refers to a system of social organization in which private property and the distribution of income are subject to social control. The conception of that control has varied significantly over time. In the modern era, "pure" socialism has been seen only rarely and usually briefly in a few Communist regimes.

What exactly is communism?

When it was first used in the mid-19th century, communism referred to an economic and political theory that advocated the elimination of private property and the common sharing of all resources among a group of people; in this use, it was often used interchangeably with the word socialism. Today, the word communism usually refers to the political and economic ideologies originating from Karl Marx's theory of revolutionary socialism, which advocates a proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures within a society; societal and communal ownership and governance of the means of production; and the eventual establishment of a classless society.

What countries are communist?

The countries of China, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos, and North Korea are the existing countries typically identified as being communist.

Examples of communism in a Sentence

On one side stood Hitler, fascism, the myth of German supremacy; on the other side stood Stalin, communism, and the international proletarian revolution. —Anne Applebaum, New York Review of Books, 25 Oct. 2007

… I grew up in an idyllic midwestern town in the 1950's, when America was obsessed with the threat of communism. In Lawrence, Kansas, people felt the cold war as something real and very close. In the first grade, my teacher pointed to a giant orange blob on the map. That was Russia, Mrs. Postma announced. They were bigger than we were, and they were out to destroy us. —Sara Paretsky, Booklist, 1 May 2003

Like me, he has lived his adult life in the context of the cold war. He was … in some sense always justified, at the back of his mind, by a concept of freedom, of America, that took sharpness from contrast with Communism. —John Updike, New York Times Book Review, 5 Aug. 1990

Communism is a religion of the state, committed to the extinction of the Church. —Flannery O'Connor, The Habit Of Being, 1979

Recent Examples on the Web

The United States is a much older and deeper democracy than Hungary was in 2010, at that point just two decades removed from the fall of communism. —Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

The Soviet Union breached all international norms and invaded Afghanistan, seeking to impose atheist communism by force in a deeply Islamic land. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

During the Cold War, military officers often seized power in the name of fighting communism. —Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 2 July 2024

Their earliest memories are not of easier lives under communism, but of Russian tanks rolling into Gori and towards the capital, Tbilisi. —Christian Edwards, CNN, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French communisme, from commun common

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Kids Definition

communism

noun

com·​mu·​nism ˈkäm-yə-ˌniz-əm 

1

: a social system in which property and goods are owned in common

also : a theory that favors such a system

2

capitalized : a system of government in which a single authoritarian party controls state-owned means of production with the aim of establishing a stateless society