# anarchism

/ˈænəkˌɪzəm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/anarchism
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. political philosophy

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

the belief that society should be organized without a government or any form of forced authority.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Uncountable in its philosophical sense.

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse anarchism with 'anarchy'; clarify that anarchism is the structured belief system, while anarchy often refers to the resulting state of affairs or general disorder.

### 2. social state

noun · CEFR C2 · Formal

a situation where there are no leaders or government in control.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Often used interchangeably with 'anarchy' in non-technical contexts.

Teaching tip: In modern usage, 'anarchy' is much more common for describing a state of disorder; 'anarchism' is usually reserved for the political theory.

## Examples

- He studied anarchism to understand how societies could function without a state.
- The local community center was run on the principles of anarchism, with every member having an equal say in all decisions.
- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.