-ism

-ism [ızəm] suffix [in nouns]

[: French; Origin: -isme, from Latin -isma and -ismus, from Greek -isma and -ismos, from verbs ending in -izein; -IZE]

1.) a political belief or religion based on a particular principle or the ideas and beliefs of a particular person

▪ socialism

▪ Buddhism

2.) the action or process of doing something

▪ his criticism of my work

3.) an action or remark that has a particular quality

▪ her witticisms (=funny remarks)

4.) the state of being like something or someone, or having a particular quality

▪ heroism (=being ahero; bravery)

▪ magnetism (=beingmagnetic)

5.) illness caused by too much of something

▪ alcoholism

6.) the practice of treating people unfairly because of something

▪ sexism (=making unfair differences between men and women)

▪ racism