identity politics
noun
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: politics in which groups of people having a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social, or cultural identity tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group
Although the UCLA center's standards promoted rigorous history, they set off a major culture war because of their relentless emphasis on identity politics.—
Diane Ravitch
Diane RavitchIdentity politics is contemporary shorthand for a group's assertion that it is a meaningful group; that it differs significantly from other groups; that its members share a history of injustice and grievance; and that its psychological and political mission is to explore, act out, act on and act up its group identity.—Catharine R. Stimpson
Catharine R. StimpsonA number of critics have viewed her work through a lens of identity politics, taking her to be some sort of oracle of Muslim womanhood.—Lauren Collins
Lauren CollinsExamples of identity politics in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At Yale, he was evidently steeped in the identity politics and postmodernism of the 1990s and wanted to both embrace and critique the Eurocentric art history he had been taught about.
—Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
Harris began her presidential campaign by consciously and correctly leaning away from the type of identity politics that has obsessed Democrats for too long.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
Harris, a daughter of immigrants, has deliberately taken an approach that shifts away from identity politics and emphasizes her economic pitch instead.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
Zoom in: Newlin says most people wrongly associate their movement with identity politics, which leads to stereotypes.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for identity politics 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2024
Harris began her presidential campaign by consciously and correctly leaning away from the type of identity politics that has obsessed Democrats for too long.
—Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 24 Oct. 2024
Harris, a daughter of immigrants, has deliberately taken an approach that shifts away from identity politics and emphasizes her economic pitch instead.
—Chad De Guzman, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
Zoom in: Newlin says most people wrongly associate their movement with identity politics, which leads to stereotypes.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for identity politics
Dictionary Entries Near identity politics
Cite this Entry
“Identity politics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20politics. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share