bolshevism
UK[ˈbɒlʃəvɪzəm]US[ˈboʊlʃəvɪzəm]
n
The political and economic theories of the Bolsheviks, advocating the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat.
n
The system of government or the principles and practices associated with the Bolshevik party, especially in the Soviet Union.
Morpheme Breakdown
bolshev
ism
bolshev
Bolshevik
ism
doctrine/system
Etymology
The term "Bolshevism" is derived from the Russian word "большевизм" (bol'shevizm). Its core component, "Bolshevik," originated within the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1903, when a faction led by Vladimir Lenin gained a majority vote on a key issue; they thus became known as "Bol'sheviki" (the Majorityites), from "bol'shinstvó" (majority). The suffix "-ism" was then appended to form the abstract noun denoting their specific revolutionary Marxist doctrine. The word's journey reflects a political label born from a procedural vote, which later evolved to define a major 20th-century ideological and state system.
Analysis
Structure: bolshev (Bolshevik) + ism (doctrine/system)
- bolshev: A direct borrowing from Russian "большевик" (bol'shevik), meaning "member of the majority." The Russian root "больше" (bol'she) means "more" or "greater."
- ism: A suffix of Greek origin (via Latin -ismus), used to form nouns denoting a system of theory, practice, or doctrine.
Examples
The revolution of 1917 was a direct result of the rise of Bolshevism.
His writings were a critique of both capitalism and Bolshevism.
The ideological foundations of Bolshevism emphasized a vanguard party leading the workers.