egalitarianism
noun
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The Roots of Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism comes to the English language from the French. We fashioned egalitarian from their égalitaire “egalitarian” (which comes from the Latin aequalitas “equality”), and then added our -ism to it. The word first appeared in English in the late 19th century; our current earliest citation is from 1874, in The Times of India: “Before the Revolution the officers of one regiment welcomed brother corps with champagne suppers, but egalitarianism has brought us down to punch at five francs the bowl. . . ."The word has seen a subtle shift in meaning. Its earliest use was typically in reference to a belief in human equality; it has since taken on the sense “a social philosophy that advocates the removal of inequality among people.”
Example Sentences
Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2022 Westwater Canyon, where a two-day, 17-mile float on the Colorado River washed away any trace of our drift from egalitarianism. Sunset Magazine, 28 July 2022 In the spirit of egalitarianism, producers gave their Hall H audience an opportunity to be in the film. Diane Bellcolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 July 2022 On the other, the varied aims of Black and Native peoples (and those who were both) ran up against those of white settlers who refused to accept even a whiff of racial egalitarianism. Philip Deloria, The New Yorker, 18 July 2022 Perhaps most ironically, Olmsted’s designs, though conceived in a spirit of egalitarianism, now define some of the country’s most exclusive neighborhoods, including in Boston and Brookline. Malcolm Gay, BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2022 Alger commanded enormous popularity in his time, and his novels became integral to the enduring fantasy of American egalitarianism. New York Times, 5 Apr. 2022 Or, in some cases, the team members buy the pretense of egalitarianism and then are enraged when the boss makes a decision that is at odds with their position. Prudy Gourguechon, Forbes, 25 Jan. 2022 In a nod to rising egalitarianism, women now make a covenant to obey God directly. Caroline Kline, The Conversation, 14 Dec. 2021 See More Word History
1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1