fascism

noun

fas·​cism ˈfa-ˌshi-zəm How to pronounce fascism (audio)
 also  ˈfa-ˌsi-
plural fascisms
1
often Fascism : a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition
At the core of fascism is loyalty to tribe, ethnic identity, religion, tradition, or, in a word, nation.Jason Stanley
There are differences between Italian Fascism, German Nazism, and their various nationalist descendants.Josh Jones
broadly : a philosophy or system with some combination of fascist values and governing structures
Take away colonialism and you still have … Balkan fascismUmberto Eco
2
: a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control
The early instances of army fascism and brutality are typical …Jason Watson Aldridge
Call it "soft fascism": a political system that aims to stamp out dissent and seize control of every major aspect of a country's political and social life, without needing to resort to "hard" measures like banning elections …Zach Beauchamp
often used informally in an exaggerated way
Like the city's ban on the use of trans fats and draconian restrictions on smoking, the new soda regulations are … yet another installment of what Jonah Goldberg rightly termed "liberal fascism."Jonathan S. Tobin
fascist
ˈfa-shist How to pronounce fascism (audio)
 also  -sist
noun
or Fascist
plural fascists or Fascists
fascist adjective
or Fascist
fascistic
fa-ˈshi-stik How to pronounce fascism (audio)
 also  -ˈsi-
adjective
or less commonly Fascistic
fascistically
fa-ˈshi-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce fascism (audio)
 also  -ˈsi-
adverb
or less commonly Fascistically

Did you know?

The Italian Origin of Fascism

The words fascism and fascist have long been associated with the Fascisti of Benito Mussolini and the fasces, the bundle of rods with an ax among them, which the Fascisti used as a symbol of the Italian people united and obedient to the single authority of the state. However, Mussolini did not introduce the word fascista (plural fascisti) with the 1919 organization of the Fasci di combattimento (“combat groups”), nor did the fasces have any direct connection with the origin of fascista. In Italian, the word fascio (plural fasci) means literally “bundle,” and figuratively “group.” From at least 1872 fascio was used in the names of labor and agrarian unions, and in October 1914 a political coalition was formed called the Fascio rivoluzionario d’ azione internazionalista (“revolutionary group for international action”), which advocated Italian participation in World War I on the side of the Allies. Members of this group were first called fascisti in January 1915. Although Mussolini was closely associated with this interventionist movement, it had no direct link with the post-war Fasci di combattimento, and in 1919 the word fascista was already in political circulation. It is, however, to the Fascisti in their 1919 incarnation—who seized power in Italy three years later—that we owe the current customary meanings of our words fascism and fascist.

Examples of fascism in a Sentence

From the first hours of Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union, the propagandists on both sides of the conflict portrayed the struggle in stark, Manichaean language. The totalitarian nature of both regimes made this inevitable. 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
Consider what happened during the crisis of global fascism. At first, even the truth about Hitler was inconvenient. Many in the west hoped the danger would simply go away. Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, 2006
He collected stories about groups similar to his—Aryans, other Nazis, the KKK. Lately, he'd been flagging many stories from Germany and Eastern Europe, and was quite thrilled with the rise of fascism there. John Grisham, The Chamber, 1995
the rise of Fascism in Europe before World War II
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Forcible suppression of opposition is a key component in fascism. David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024 The Parisian Surrealists emerged amid the fresh traumas of World War I, the alienation of rapid industrialization, and the horrors of rising fascism. Jack Denton, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024 The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition to fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 4 Oct. 2024 Smith writes that the idea of a Judeo-Christian tradition emerged in the United States in the 1930s and ’40s as a response to both homegrown and foreign antisemitism and fascism. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fascism 

Word History

Etymology

Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fascism was in 1921

Dictionary Entries Near fascism

Cite this Entry

“Fascism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fascism

noun
fas·​cism ˈfash-ˌiz-əm How to pronounce fascism (audio)
often capitalized
: a political system headed by a dictator in which the government controls business and labor and opposition is not permitted
fascist noun or adjective, often capitalized
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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