forming nouns from adjectives, verbs, and nouns, denoting:
an act or practice
the act, practice, or process of
plagiarism
a mode of behaviour characteristic of (the person or thing specified)
cannibalism
the state, condition, or property of
magnetism
a pathological state or condition resulting from excessive use of (the drug specified)
alcoholism
gigantism
a pathological state or condition marked by resemblance to (the person or thing specified)
a doctrine, theory, or cult of
Buddhism
stoicism
adherence to (the doctrine or system specified)
prejudice on grounds of
sexism
a characteristic or peculiar feature of (the language or variety of language specified)
colloquialism
anglicism
[Middle English -isme from early French, partly from Latin -isma and partly from Latin -ismus, from Greek -ismos]