Meaning & use
populism
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Meanings
noununcountable
A style of politics that claims to speak for ordinary people against a powerful, corrupt elite.
Grammar: Uncountable, so say 'populism' or 'a kind of populism', never 'a populism' or 'populisms' in general use.
Patterns
- the rise of populism
- populism in politics
- a wave of populism
The party's success was built on populism rather than detailed policies.
Many commentators worry that populism is spreading across Europe.
His speeches mix populism with sharp criticism of the banks.
noununcountabledisapproving
The beliefs and methods of a movement that stirs up ordinary people's anger against experts and institutions.
Grammar: Also uncountable; often follows adjectives like 'right-wing' or 'left-wing' to name a particular variety.
Patterns
- right-wing populism
- left-wing populism
- accuse someone of populism
Critics accuse the government of right-wing populism.
The paper described the plan as pure populism, designed to win votes.
Left-wing populism has grown among younger voters.
Common combinations
- the rise of populism
- The rise of populism has changed how mainstream parties campaign.
- a wave of populism
- A wave of populism swept through the region after the recession.
- accuse somebody of populism
- Opponents accused the mayor of populism when he cut bus fares.
- populism and nationalism
- The lecture compared populism and nationalism in the twentieth century.
- a populist leader
- A populist leader promised to take power back from the elite.
Synonyms and how they differ
- demagoguery
- Stronger and more negative; it stresses manipulating people's emotions rather than simply claiming to represent them.
- nationalism
- Focuses on national identity and often overlaps with populism, but a movement can be populist without being nationalist.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: populism or popularism? populism or populace?
populism vs popularism
Not a standard word; learners sometimes invent it from 'popular'. The correct term is 'populism'.
populism vs populace
'Populace' means the ordinary people of a country, not the political style; the two sound similar but are different words.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'populism' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Populism' is an uncountable noun for a political style, so it fits the sentence about appealing to ignored voters. The other options treat it as something sweet, countable or physical, which is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “populism”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.