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capitalism

capitalism

292 3.8
A system where people or companies own businesses and property to make money
  • noun
  • /ˈkæpɪtəlɪzəm/
translation icon : capitalismo
  • Many believe that capitalism encourages innovation and competition.
  • socialism and capitalism
  • capitalism and democracy
  • capitalism versus communism

And nothing succeeds in capitalism more than success itself.

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Examples

  • The minute you lose that ability in capitalism, you're gone.

  • Now that American-style capitalism has fallen from its pedestal, might this view begin to shift?

    Academic text (2011)
  • Do you think we actually have capitalism now here in the UK?

  • The answer here is more capitalism and free markets, not less, right?

  • By that time, the future of capitalism in the United States was never in doubt.

    Academic text (1990)
  • My point was that is the kind of capitalism that causes problems.

  • This is all about capitalism.

  • And nothing succeeds in capitalism more than success itself.

  • Thus, the American version of capitalism is, if not in full disrepute, then at least no longer dominant.

    Academic text (2011)
  • The Chinese 20-year-long experiment with capitalism seems to confirm such a scenario.

    Academic text (1999)

Synonyms

market economy
vscapitalism
  • Specialized
93 3.0

A system where people and businesses buy and sell goods and prices are set by supply and demand

emphasizes private ownership for profit rather than allocation by markets
private enterprise
vscapitalism
14 3.9

Businesses owned and run by people or companies, not the government

focuses on private ownership aimed at profit rather than management or pricing
capitalist economy
vscapitalism
4 4.2

An economic system where private people or companies own businesses and try to make money

is the more common single-word name for the same system
free-enterprise
vscapitalism
2 4.7

Supporting a system where private businesses compete with little government control

describes the actual economic system rather than a supportive stance

Antonyms

192 5.0

A system where the state or people own important businesses and services

139 5.0

A system where all property is owned by the community and people get what they need

Compounds

state capitalism
  • Specialized
2 6.8

An economy where the government owns or controls many businesses in a market system

casino capitalism
  • Literature
1 8.5

A system where banks and markets act like gamblers, making risky short term bets

Investors give money to new, risky companies hoping for big profits

A belief or movement against a system where businesses make money for private owners

How Capitalist

laissez-faire
  • Formal
7 8.7
market economy
  • Specialized
93 3.0
capitalism
292 3.8
mixed economy
  • Specialized
2 4.1
state capitalism
  • Specialized
2 6.8
managed economy
  • Specialized
1 7.0

Surface Forms

capitalism singular
capitalisms plural

Morphology

capitalism = capital (transparent) = capital + ism

The noun denotes a system or doctrine based on 'capital' (money/assets) using the productive suffix '-ism', so the meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Capitalism comes from capital, which itself comes from the Latin word caput meaning 'head' and later came to mean 'money or property' used to make more money. So capitalism is the system built around private 'capital' — people owning money and property to earn profit.