activism

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈæktɪˌvɪzəm/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    The policy or practice of taking direct, vigorous action to bring about political or social change, often through protests, demonstrations, or campaigns.; The doctrine or practice of emphasizing direct action and vigorous campaigning as a means of achieving social or political goals.; In philosophy, the theory that reality is fundamentally constituted by activity or process rather than by static substances.; In finance, the practice of shareholders using their equity stake in a corporation to influence its management, policies, or strategic direction.; In judicial context, the practice of judges interpreting the law in a way that reflects their own views on social policy, often going beyond the literal text of statutes or constitutions.

🔗 Details

Word forms

uncountable

Collocations

political activismsocial activismenvironmental activismonline activismgrassroots activismyouth activism

Derivatives

activistactivateactiveactivelyactivityactivistinaction

Synonyms

advocacycampaigningagitationmilitancyprotest

Antonyms

passivityapathyinactioncomplacency

Commonly confused

activist
EN: 'Activist' is the person who engages in activism; 'activism' is the practice or philosophy itself.
activity
EN: 'Activity' is a general term for any action or pursuit; 'activism' specifically refers to organized efforts to bring about social or political change.

Spelling tips

EN: No common spelling issues. Note the '-ism' suffix, not '-izm' or '-ismm'.

💬 Examples

  1. Her activism in the civil rights movement inspired a generation of young people to fight for equality.

  2. Environmental activism has grown significantly in recent decades as awareness of climate change has increased.

  3. The philosopher's activism stood in contrast to the prevailing materialist views of his time.

  4. Shareholder activism forced the company's board to reconsider its executive compensation package.

  5. Critics accused the court of judicial activism for striking down the legislation on grounds not explicitly stated in the constitution.