Islamism

noun

Is·​lam·​ism is-ˈlä-ˌmi-zəm How to pronounce Islamism (audio)
iz-,
-ˈla-;
ˈiz-lə-
1
: the faith, doctrine, or cause of Islam
2
: a popular reform movement advocating the reordering of government and society in accordance with laws prescribed by Islam
Islamist
is-ˈlä-mist How to pronounce Islamism (audio)
iz-
-ˈla-;
ˈiz-lə-
noun

Examples of Islamism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But sometimes, as in the New Orleans attack, the driving ideology is radical Islamism. Adiel Kaplan, NBC News, 4 Jan. 2025 The two leading Gulf powers, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are taking a cautious approach, because Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the main rebel faction that has seized control of much of Syria, leans toward Islamism and was once affiliated with the extremist group Al Qaeda. Ismaeel Naar, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025 Opening the Abraham Accords to these new members would help remind the world that there are many Muslim countries who favor tolerance, peace and stability and want nothing to do with the corrosive brand of Islamism that has wrecked economies and devastated communities. Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 Syria The large question hanging over our Syria policy is whether the rebel group chiefly responsible for toppling the Assad regime, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or Organization for the Liberation of the Levant, is sincere in its renunciation of terrorism and Taliban-style Islamism. Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 12 Dec. 2024 Global fear and loathing of Islamism is preventing a genuine wave of celebration over the demise of a butcher. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024 Those who have formed the interim government have very little to do with Islamism. Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2024 Bordering Afghanistan, where ISIS-K first emerged, Tajikistan has long struggled with a mix of poverty, intense political repression by its government, backed by Moscow, and a broad spectrum of Islamism from across the fervently religious region. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 25 July 2024 The Kremlin did not always try that hard to quash narratives around violent Islamism. Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 26 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Islamism was in 1747

Dictionary Entries Near Islamism

Cite this Entry

“Islamism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Islamism. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

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