egalitarianism

noun

egal·​i·​tar·​i·​an·​ism i-ˌga-lə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm 

1

: a belief in human equality especially with respect to social, political, and economic affairs

2

: a social philosophy advocating the removal of inequalities among people

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The Roots of Egalitarianism

Egalitarianism comes to the English language from the French. We fashioned egalitarian from their égalitaire “egalitarian” (which comes from the Latin aequalitas “equality”), and then added our -ism to it. The word first appeared in English in the late 19th century; our current earliest citation is from 1874, in The Times of India: “Before the Revolution the officers of one regiment welcomed brother corps with champagne suppers, but egalitarianism has brought us down to punch at five francs the bowl. . . ." The word has seen a subtle shift in meaning. Its earliest use was typically in reference to a belief in human equality; it has since taken on the sense “a social philosophy that advocates the removal of inequality among people.”

Examples of egalitarianism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Concert hall designers often pursue a different strategy, privileging intimacy and approximate egalitarianism over the architectural expression of status. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024

But such a move risks undermining the universal standards that undergird the military’s egalitarianism and common culture — critical advantages in the crucible of combat. —Gil Barndollar, Vox, 1 Sep. 2024

The second is the idea of symmetry, which involves feelings of egalitarianism and reciprocity in a friendship. —Terry Ward, CNN, 4 Aug. 2024

Retrenchment cannot resolve this tension between, on the one hand, opposing war and, on the other, defending egalitarianism and resisting imperialism. —Jonathan B. Petkun, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1