ideology
noun
ˌi-dē-ˈä-
Did you know?
Ideology has been in use in English since the end of the 18th century and is one of the few words whose coiner we can identify. The French writer A. L. C. Destutt de Tracy proposed it as a term to designate the “science of ideas,” and in that sense the word was quickly borrowed into English. Though ideology originated as a serious philosophical term, within a few decades it took on connotations of impracticality thanks to Napoleon, who used it in a derisive manner. Such connotations are still present in some contexts, but the word today is largely used neutrally, most often to refer to a systematic body of concepts, and especially to the set of ideas and beliefs held by a particular group or political party.
Examples of ideology in a Sentence
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Each agency shall assess grant conditions and grantee preferences and ensure grant funds do not promote gender ideology.
—Preston Mizell , Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 7 Apr. 2026
The Republican Party embraced neoconservatism; Buchanan and his cohort were the stewards of an ideology for cranks.
—Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Orbán's government -- bankrolled in part by cheap Russian energy supplies -- poured money into a network of think tanks that became hubs for MAGA and nationalist ideology, and that in turn provided channels for the Kremlin to filter its talking points to American right-wing groups.
—Catherine Belton The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 6 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ideology
Cite this Entry
“Ideology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ideology. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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ideology
noun
ˌid-
Medical Definition
ideology
noun
ˌid-
