fascist

fascist — adjective

IPA/ˈfæʃɪst/
KK[fˈæʃɪst]IPA/ˈfæʃɪst/
  • fascistpositive
  • more fascistcomparative
  • most fascistsuperlative

1. showing support for fascism or for a system that puts one strong leader and the

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

showing support for fascism or for a system that puts one strong leader and the nation above personal freedom.

Example

The newspaper praised a fascist party that promised to jail union leaders.

fascist + party for a movement supporting authoritarian nationalism

In class, Ritu compared the fascist salute to other symbols of forced loyalty.

fascist + salute for a symbolic public gesture

Common collocations
  • fascist regime
  • fascist party
  • fascist salute
  • fascist propaganda
  • fascist state
  • fascist movement
Synonyms
  • authoritarian

    is broader and can describe strict control without the full ideology of fascism

  • totalitarian

    stresses a state that tries to control nearly every part of life

  • ultranationalist

    focuses on extreme nationalism and does not always imply fascism

Antonyms
  • democratic

    supports shared political power and open elections

  • pluralist

    accepts many different groups, views, and voices

Grammar Patterns

fascist + noun (regime, party, salute, propaganda)

Usage Note

Mostly used before nouns such as regime, party, salute, propaganda, or tactics. It usually points to explicit support for fascism rather than to ordinary strictness in daily life.

Common Mistakes

My math homework is fascist.
The school adopted fascist rules that banned student newspapers.
use this adjective for politics or state-style repression, not for ordinary difficulty or annoyance.

fascist — noun

IPA/ˈfæʃ.ɪst/
KK[fˈæʃɪst]IPA/ˈfæʃ.ɪst/

Word family

  • fascism
    nounC2
  • fascistic
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Fascist is the narrowest and most historically loaded word in this group. It refers to someone who supports fascism: extreme nationalism, a strong leader, and the crushing of opposition. Authoritarian is broader; it can describe a harsh person or a system that demands obedience without necessarily being fascist. Totalitarian is broader in a different way, stressing a state that tries to control almost every part of life. Ultranationalist focuses on extreme loyalty to the nation and may or may not include fascist ideas. Reactionary describes someone who wants to return to an older social order. Calling a leader authoritarian is serious; calling that leader fascist makes a much stronger historical and ideological claim.

authoritarian ↗totalitarian ↗ultranationalistreactionary

Etymology

LatinItalianEnglish

Fascist entered English in the early 1900s through Italian fascista. The Italian word was built on fascio, meaning 'bundle' or 'group', which had already been used in the names of political movements. Fascio itself goes back to Latin fascis, 'bundle of sticks'. Mussolini's movement adopted the fasces, an ancient Roman symbol of authority made from bound rods, and from that symbol the modern political word fascism developed. English first used fascist for a supporter of that movement, then later more broadly for far-right figures or, informally, for people seen as harshly controlling.