Well-read · Politics & society
Populism: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Populism noun. Politics that claims to speak for ordinary people against an elite seen as corrupt or out of touch.
How to say it
POP-yuh-liz-um/ˈpɒpjʊlɪz(ə)m/
4 syllables, stressed on the first (POP). Forms: populist.
Populism in a sentence
Populism has appeared on the left and the right, often with surprisingly similar slogans.
The column argued that populism thrives wherever people feel nobody in charge is listening.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- anti-elitism
- people's politics
Opposite:
- elitism
Where populism comes from
From Latin populus, people; first used of the American People's Party of the 1890s.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
The column argued that _____ thrives wherever people feel nobody in charge is listening.
- technocrat
- ideology
- populism
Show the answer
populism: The column argued that populism thrives wherever people feel nobody in charge is listening.