Word
anarchism
Phoneticsan·ar·chism
UK/ˈænəkˌɪzəm/
Definitions
01political philosophy
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Academic
n. the belief that society should be organized without a government or any form of forced authority.
n. a political theory holding all forms of governmental authority to be unnecessary and undesirable, advocating for a society based on voluntary cooperation.
“The professor explained how anarchism differs from simple chaos or lawlessness.”
“Nineteenth-century anarchism emerged as a significant critique of both the centralized state and the burgeoning industrial capitalist system.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02social state
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Formal
n. a situation where there are no leaders or government in control.
n. the state of a society being without authorities or an authoritative governing body.
“The country fell into a period of anarchism after the central government collapsed.”
“The transition from a monarchy to a state of functional anarchism was marked by the rise of local autonomous collectives.”
Antonyms
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the political philosophy; occasionally countable when referring to specific historical movements or schools of thought.
Real-World Examples
“In Protestant and English-speaking countries, Italian immigrants became easy targets because of their Catholicism, or their associations with anarchism and organised crime.” Etymology
From anarchy + -ism.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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