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centrism

centrism

3 6.1
A belief about politics that chooses moderate positions between the left and the right
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛntrɪzəm/
translation icon : centrismo
  • But once that's done, there's an opportunity for open-minded, principled centrism to do something worthwhile.
  • American centrism

Examples

  • Many voters are drawn to the idea of centrism because it promotes practical solutions rather than extreme ideologies.

  • How do you make political centrism sexy?

  • The real problem with "centrism" is that it is so poorly defined.

    Blog text (28)
  • The Soviet era was completely devoid of centrism.

    Academic text (1996)
  • Centrism in that atmosphere is different from the faux "centrism" of intellectual apathy.

    Blog text (28)
  • Your observation of Clinton's "centrism" is accurate because he was a masterful politician.

    Blog text (16)
  • The Central American countries need to add to their fledgling, incomplete democracies a functional equivalent of that earlier centrism.

    Academic text (1998)
  • In today's political climate, centrism encourages dialogue between opposing parties to find common ground.

  • Her views reflect a commitment to centrism, balancing progressive and conservative policies to appeal to a wider audience.

Synonyms

moderatism
vscentrism
  • Formal
8.6

A political approach that avoids extreme left and right views

is the same philosophy but focuses on choosing middle positions between ideologies
moderationism
vscentrism
  • Formal
9.7

A policy of avoiding extremes in politics to keep balance

is a political philosophy that balances left and right rather than mere practice

Antonyms

extremism
  • Literature
62 7.4

Holding very strong political or religious beliefs and supporting actions that harm others

14 8.1

Belief in making large political or social changes, often by force

How Moderate

moderation
5 3.7
centrism
3 6.1
partisanship
65 7.4
radicalism
14 8.1
extremism
  • Literature
62 7.4

Surface Forms

centrism singular
centrisms plural

Morphology

centrism = center (transparent) = center + ism

Formed by the productive suffix '-ism' from 'center' to denote an ideology, so the political meaning is directly derived.

Etymology

Centrism comes from the word center and the ending -ism, which means 'a belief or system'. So, centrism is the idea of staying in the political 'center' and avoiding extreme views.