anarchism

an·ar·chism | \ ˈa-nər-ˌki-zəm

How to pronounce anarchism (audio)

, -ˌnär- \

Definition of anarchism

1 : a political theory holding all forms of governmental authority to be unnecessary and undesirable and advocating a society based on voluntary cooperation and free association of individuals and groups

2 : the advocacy or practice of anarchistic principles

Examples of anarchism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In Portland, the PNW Youth Liberation Front is planning to protest Biden’s Inauguration Day and suggesting on Twitter that the country should end the presidency and embrace anarchism as symbolized by a black flag. — oregonlive, "Oregon National Guard prepares to respond to civil unrest ahead of Biden inauguration," 14 Jan. 2021 America has experienced surges of mainstream anarchism, socialism, and communism, most profoundly during the late 19th century, amid the Great Depression, during the Soviet-American alliance of World War II and afterward, and in the 1960s. — Victor Davis Hanson, National Review, "Where Did the New Mad Left Come From?," 15 Dec. 2020 The library is crammed with books about anarchism, occupation movements, the Paris Commune, utopias, territorial and peasant struggles. — Isabelle Frémeaux, The New York Review of Books, "David Graeber, 1961–2020," 5 Sep. 2020 The description includes a black flag emoji, which often symbolizes anarchism. — oregonlive, "Who is the PNW Youth Liberation Front at the center of recent Portland protests," 3 June 2020 Start with the word salad of Marxism, anarchism, and existentialism. — Matthew Walther, TheWeek, "'Imagine' is a bad, bad song," 4 June 2020 As Valerie’s life unfolds in a blur of expectations and disappointment—predatory men, particularly, lurk at every stage of the story—her anarchism is humanized, without losing its teeth. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, "“Valerie” Is an Extraordinary Love Letter to a Radical Feminist," 1 Aug. 2019 Direct action is one of several key tenets of anarchism. — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Anarchist Arya Stark: This Game of Thrones Meme Breaks Down Characters by Political Organizing Tactics," 21 May 2019 Photo: Alexei Druzhinin/Planet Pix/ZUMA PRESS Few foreigners display the devotion of Mr. Monson, a longtime adherent of socialism and anarchism whose many tattoos include a hammer and sickle. — James Marson, WSJ, "An American Heavyweight Infiltrates Russian Politics—and the Russians Are All for It," 30 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'anarchism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near anarchism

anarcho-syndicalism

Statistics for anarchism

Last Updated

14 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Anarchism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anarchism. Accessed 18 Feb. 2021.

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