-ismPronunciation: /ɪz(ə)m/Definition of -ism suffix forming nouns: 1denoting an action or its result:baptism exorcism denoting a state or quality:barbarism 2denoting a system, principle, or ideological movement:Anglicanism feminism hedonism denoting a basis for prejudice or discrimination:racism 3denoting a peculiarity in language:colloquialism Americanism 4denoting a pathological condition:alcoholismOrigin:from French -isme, via Latin from Greek -ismos, -isma-ism in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of -ism in the US English dictionary
