-ism /ɪz ə m/ BrE AmE suffix [in nouns]
[ Language: French ; Origin: -isme , from Latin -isma and -ismus , from Greek -isma and -ismos , from verbs ending in -izein ; ⇨ ↑ -ize ]
1 . a political belief or religion based on a particular principle or the ideas and beliefs of a particular person:
socialism
Buddhism
2 . the action or process of doing something:
his criticism of my work
3 . an action or remark that has a particular quality:
her witticisms (=funny remarks)
4 . the state of being like something or someone, or having a particular quality:
heroism (=being a ↑ hero ; bravery)
magnetism (=being ↑ magnetic )
5 . illness caused by too much of something:
alcoholism
6 . the practice of treating people unfairly because of something:
sexism (=making unfair differences between men and women)
racism