a system or theory of government in which the state is seen as a loose federation of self-governing communities
2.
an electoral system in which ethnic groups vote separately for their own representatives
3.
loyalty to the interests of one's own ethnic group rather than to society as a whole
4.
the practice or advocacy of communal living or ownership
Derived forms
communalist (ˈcommunalist)
noun
communalistic (ˌcommunaˈlistic)
adjective
communalism in American English
(ˈkɑmjunəlˌɪzəm; ˈkɑmjənəlˌɪzəm; also kəˈmjunəlˌɪzəm)
noun
1.
a theory or system of government in which communes or local communities, sometimes on an ethnic or religious basis, have virtual autonomy within a federated state