communalism

noun

com·​mu·​nal·​ism kə-ˈmyü-nə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce communalism (audio)
1
: social organization on a communal basis
2
: loyalty to a sociopolitical grouping based on religious or ethnic affiliation
communalist
kə-ˈmyü-nə-list How to pronounce communalism (audio)
noun or adjective

Examples of communalism 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.
In the end, some people realize their ideals about communalism are less important than having autonomy over their time or dinner menu, and that’s why many co-ops fall apart. — Kayla Levy, Curbed, 6 Feb. 2025 This pattern remains basically unchanged, though more and more young women and men reject such communalism as outmoded today, and refuse to participate. — Dennis Zhou, The New Yorker, 3 July 2023 The children of this era would go on to lead the next affective era in the form of the 1960s—which in many ways were a fight against this boredom, a call to reclaim the excitement of communalism, of revolution, of queerness and chaos. — P.e. Moskowitz september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 Bulatov’s and Kabakov’s inversions of such themes evoked a somber and meditative mood that emphasized the persistence of loneliness against the backdrop of compulsory communalism. — Jennifer Wilson, Harper's Magazine, 11 May 2022 See All Example Sentences for communalism

Word History

First Known Use

1897, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of communalism was in 1897

Rhymes for communalism

See All Rhymes for communalism

Browse Nearby Words

communal
communalism
communalist
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Communalism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communalism. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All