IDEOLOGY

ideology

(noun) imaginary or visionary theorization

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

ideology (countable and uncountable, plural ideologies)

Doctrine, philosophy, body of beliefs or principles belonging to an individual or group.

(uncountable) The study of the origin and nature of ideas.

Usage notes

Original meaning “study of ideas” (following the etymology), today primarily used to mean “doctrine”. For example “communist ideology” generally refers to “communist doctrine”; study of communist ideas instead being “communist philosophy”, or more clearly “philosophy of communism”; only rarely “ideology of communism”.

Anagrams

• eidology

Source: Wiktionary

I`de*ol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Ideo- + -logy: cf. F. idéologie.]

1. The science of ideas. Stewart.

2. (Metaph.)

Definition: A theory of the origin of ideas which derives them exclusively from sensation.

Note: By a double blunder in philosophy and Greek, idéologie . . . has in France become the name peculiarly distinctive of that philosophy of mind which exclusively derives our knowledge from sensation. Sir W. Hamilton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition