-ism

Etymology

It is partly borrowed from French -isme and partly borrowed from Latin -ismus,^[2][3][4] with some influence from -isma,^[3][5][6] both from Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós), -ισμα (-isma),^[2][7][6] which formed nouns of action from verbs in -ίζω (-ízō), the source of -ize: βαπτίζω (baptízō, “to dip”) gave βαπτισμός (baptismós, “the action of dipping”).^[2][4] The form in -ισμα (-isma) expressed more strictly the finished act or the thing done.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In Greek, verbs in -ίζω (-ízō) could be formed on the name of a people, meaning to act like them, side with them or use their speech, so that a noun such as Ἀττικισμός (Attikismós) was both siding with Athens and Attic style.^[2][4] On that model came Ἰουδαϊσμός (Ioudaïsmós, “the manner of the Jews”) and Χριστιανισμός (Khristianismós, “the practice of Christians”).^[2][4]

Semantic evolution

In Late Latin the suffix became a regular ending for religious and philosophical systems, and medieval Latin formed pāgānismus on the Greek model.^[2][4] English took over the suffix, and such words became numerous from the 16th century.^[2][4][7] Hoad sorts its uses into a process or its result (baptism, criticism), conduct or character (heroism, patriotism), a system of theory or practice (Catholicism, positivism), and a trait of language (Americanism, colloquialism).^[4] Weekley quotes a 1680 attack on "all isms", and the suffix has also been a word in its own right since the 17th century.^[8][4] A later group means belief in the superiority of one kind of person over another, or discrimination on some ground, as in racism, sexism and ageism.^[2][5]

Timeline

• 13th century – painime, painim, from Old French.^[2]
• before 1500 – Judaisme, the first in the modern form and sense.^[2][4]
• c. 1525 – christianisme.^[2]
• 1680 – isms, the suffix used as a word.^[8][4]
• 1903 – racism.^[2]
• 1969 – ageism.^[2]

Meanings

Suffix

1. Forming nouns for an action, process or its result, often beside a verb in -ize: plagiarism.^[9][5][2]
2. Forming nouns for a state, condition or type of conduct: barbarism.^[9][5][2]
3. Forming names of a doctrine, system of belief or set of practices: stoicism, Marxism.^[9][5][2]
4. Forming nouns for a characteristic feature of a language: Scotticism.^[9][2]
5. Forming nouns for belief in the superiority of one group, or for prejudice on a stated ground: heightism.^[5][2]
6. Forming nouns for an unhealthy condition caused by something: morphinism.^[7][5]

Word family

• ism
• baptism
• criticism
• heroism
• Judaism
• racism

Related words

• -ist
• -istic
• -ize

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Hoad, T. F., ed. (1986), The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford: Clarendon Press
5. ^ a b c d e f g Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
7. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
8. ^ a b Weekley, Ernest (1921), An Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, London: John Murray
9. ^ a b c d Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins