what is an ism

The suffix "-ism" is added to the end of a word to indicate that the word represents a specific practice, system, or philosophy. Often these practices, systems, or philosophies are political ideologies or artistic movements. Using "-ism" at the end of a word also suggests the word is related to a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as an authority by a group or school of thought. "-ism" is typically added to nouns and is often used to describe philosophies, theories, religions, social movements, artistic movements, and behaviors. The concept of an "-ism" may resemble that of a grand narrative. The first recorded usage of the suffix "-ism" as a separate word in its own right was in 1680. By the nineteenth century, it was being used to signify a pre-packaged ideology. In modern usage, "-ism" can be used to describe a distinctive doctrine, theory, system, or practice.