Etymologically
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socialism

Etymology and origin of the English word socialism

History Permalink
Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing, Derivation
First attested
1837
Borrowed from
French socialisme
Ultimate origin
Latin (socius)

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈsəʊʃəlɪzəm/ (UK); /ˈsoʊʃəlɪzəm/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from French socialisme (1832) or formed in English from social and -ism, perhaps after the earlier socialist.[2][3][4] The French word was probably first used in 1831 of the teachings of the Fourierists, and Pierre Leroux claimed to have coined it.[3][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

A theory of social organization in which the means of production are owned in common: 1837 in Barnhart, the OED, Etymonline and Merriam-Webster.[3][5][2][6] It was apparently first used in English of Robert Owen's experimental communities.[3][2]

Semantic evolution

A state of society in which things are held in common is from 1879.[5] In Marxist theory socialism is the stage between capitalism and communism.[7][8]

Timeline

  • 1831 – socialisme in French.[3]
  • 1837 – socialism in English.[3][5]
  • 1879 – a society holding things in common.[5]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A political and economic theory or system in which the means of production and distribution are owned collectively, usually by the state.
  2. (Marxism) The stage of society between capitalism and communism.

Word family

  • semisocialism
  • unsocialism
  • Fabianism
  • presocialism
  • guild socialism
  • National Socialism
  • state socialism
  • utopian socialism

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b c d e f Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  4. ^ Pearsall, Judy, ed. (1998), The New Oxford Dictionary of English, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  5. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  8. ^ Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Socialism.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/socialism. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·