ENGLISH
REFERENCE

anarchism

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced UK //ˈænəkˌɪzəm// an·ar·chism Archaic

n. the belief that people should live together without any government or leaders. It suggests that society works best when everyone cooperates freely instead of following laws made by a central power.

n. a political theory or movement that advocates for the abolition of all forms of government and organized state authority. It promotes a society based on voluntary cooperation and the free association of individuals and groups.


SIMPLE

He studied anarchism to understand how societies could function without a state.

CONTEXTUAL

The local community center was run on the principles of anarchism, with every member having an equal say in all decisions.

COMPLEX

While often dismissed as a recipe for chaos, historical anarchism was a deeply structured philosophy that emphasized mutual aid and the dismantling of hierarchical power structures in both labor and government.

Origin

From anarchy + -ism.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the political philosophy; occasionally countable when referring to specific historical movements or schools of thought.

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