populism

noun

pop·​u·​lism ˈpä-pyə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce populism (audio)
plural populisms
1
: a political philosophy or movement that represents or is claimed to represent the interests of ordinary people especially against the Establishment (see establishment sense 2a)
Populism usually arises from a general discontent. … People feel that things are out of control, socially and economically. … The idea that this is the fault of the meritocratic elite is an easy sell.Nicholas Lemann
… anti-government populism is beginning to give way to the more classic, anti-corporate populismLeslie Savan
… Elizabeth Warren summoned the familiar and fiery spirits of Democratic populism. "Our job is to fight for the families of America," the Massachusetts Senator yelled over applause. … "Stitch up the tax loopholes so that millionaires and billionaires pay at the same tax rate as the people in this room."Jay Newton-Small
There are few things more terrifying than demagogic populism, sharpened dangerously into authoritarian rule, with minorities left at the mercy of those now in charge of writing and enforcing the laws.George Takei
The move comes amid a rise in economic populism in the GOP, Republican strategist John Feehery told the Washington Examiner. Even as the party writ large is generally supportive of the business community, an insurgent crop of Republican lawmakers is pursuing a more working-class-friendly agenda …Samantha-Jo Roth
sometimes, specifically : the political and economic doctrines advocated by the Populists (see populist entry 1 sense 1b)
… the nativist populism of the 1890s, the political and social movement of poor and dispossessed farmers who saw the source of their plight as the controllers of money and the rule of gold … Daniel Bell
2
: general concern for ordinary people
… a profile of James Brown in Look, in February of 1969. The article celebrated Mr. Brown's business empire … and his populism (traveling a hundred thousand miles a year to reach three million fans where they lived; capping ticket prices at five dollars for adults and ninety-nine cents for children under twelve) …Philip Gourevitch

Examples of populism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Movements like populism, which want to make culture this monolithic gray thing, are so scary. Anthony Byrt, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025 Again populism that drove the first Trump Administration. Kyle Chayka, The New Yorker, 26 Feb. 2025 Neither country was ever ripe for populism: the politics of envy, us-against-them. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 25 Feb. 2025 The Gadsden flag also originated around the time of the American Revolution, and later became associated with the right-wing populism of the Tea Party movement, according to Britannica. Carolyn Komatsoulis, Idaho Statesman, 22 Feb. 2025 Senior executives at major U.S. manufacturing firms are calculating whether Trump’s early threats to Mexico are merely performative populism, or whether Trump really aims to dismantle the existing global trade system and fundamentally disrupt the U.S.-Mexico supply chain. Mark Vickers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025 Other amendments dealt with housing affordability, energy costs, and the price of groceries as Democrats lean into economic populism following their 2024 election loss. David Sivak, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Feb. 2025 Germany’s status as a bulwark against populism will likely be determined not Sunday, but in the years to come. Mark Sappenfield, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2025 His pro-labor philosophy echoed Nebraska’s legacy of prairie populism, notably the founding of the People’s Party in the 1890s, which criticized Republicans and Democrats for failing to protect workers and farmers. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from popul(ist) entry 1 + -ism

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of populism was in 1891

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Cite this Entry

“Populism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/populism. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

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