fascism
noun
fas·cism
| \ ˈfa-ˌshi-zəm also ˈfa-ˌsi-
\
\
Definition of fascism
1
often capitalized
: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition
2
: a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control
early instances of army fascism and brutality— J. W. Aldridge
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Other Words from fascism
fascist
\ ˈfa-shist
also -sist \
noun or adjective,
often capitalized
also -sist \
noun or adjective,
often capitalized
fascistic
\ fa-ˈshi-stik
also -ˈsi- \
adjective,
often capitalized
also -ˈsi- \
adjective,
often capitalized
fascistically
\ fa-ˈshi-sti-k(ə-)lē
also -ˈsi- \
adverb,
often capitalized
also -ˈsi- \
adverb,
often capitalized
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
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Recent Examples on the Web
Nevertheless, his work has been touted as a warning against radical visions of all kinds, used to support the argument that communism and fascism are merely two sides of the same coin. — Sophie Pinkham, The New Republic, "Vasily Grossman’s Lost Epic," 27 Aug. 2019 What lies in front of us are two choices: enlightenment or fascism. . — Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, "Marianne Williamson’s Esprit de Orb Corps," 26 Aug. 2019 But nowhere was Mandel more forward-thinking than regarding the rise of fascism in Europe. — James Mcauley, Town & Country, "The Haunting of Paris: Georges Mandel and the Long Legacy of Nazi Violence," 6 Aug. 2019 Orwell went home a staunch member of the anti-communist left, unalterably opposed to imperialism and fascism but committed to calling out lies on all sides. — Wendy Smith, Washington Post, "How the world of ‘1984’ haunts our present," 21 June 2019 The most refreshing thing that these writers do in their own ways is get at much bigger questions than the subjects of Trump, feminism, even democracy and fascism provoke. — Vogue, "Astra Taylor and Natasha Lennard Are Shaking Up “Resistance Lit” (Thank God)," 10 May 2019 Immediately after the war, some in Germany worked to absolve themselves of responsibility for war atrocities and construct the notion of German victimhood or the power of the Soviet state in defeating fascism. — Gail Fletcher, National Geographic, "The forgotten ‘wolf children’ of World War II," 29 July 2019 The animating spirit of fascism — its martial zeal for a statist utopian vision — seems quite welcome in the citadels of modern liberalism. — Joseph Loconte, National Review, "Mussolini and the End of Liberal Democracy," 25 June 2019 Some discern in them the return of fascism, pointing to the dark history of several of the national populist parties and their willingness to overlook the hateful views of their most extreme supporters. — Matthew Goodwin, WSJ, "Europe’s Populists Are Here to Stay," 14 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'fascism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for fascism
fascism
noun
English Language Learners Definition of fascism
: a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government
: very harsh control or authority
See the full definition for fascism in the English Language Learners Dictionary
fas·cism
| \ ˈfa-ˌshi-zəm
\
\
Kids Definition of fascism
: a political system headed by a dictator in which the government controls business and labor and opposition is not permitted
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