Hypertext Webster Gateway: "ism"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
-ism \-ism\ [F. -isme, or L. -ismus, Gr. ?.]
A suffix indicating an act, a process, the result of an act
or a process, a state; also, a characteristic (as a theory,
doctrine, idiom, etc.); as, baptism, galvanism, organism,
hypnotism, socialism, sensualism, Anglicism.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Ism \Ism\, n. [See {ism}, above.]
A doctrine or theory; especially, a wild or visionary theory.
--E. Everett.
The world grew light-headed, and forth came a spawn of
isms which no man can number. --S. G.
Goodrich.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
ism
n : a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by
some group or school [syn: {doctrine}, {philosophy}, {school
of thought}]
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