Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Pertaining to collectivism: Describes a system, ideology, or attitude that emphasizes the collective or group over the individual. It involves the belief that the goals and well-being of the community are more important than those of any single person.
   • Characterized by collective ownership: Specifically refers to the socialist doctrine advocating that property, resources, and the means of production should be owned and controlled by the people as a group, rather than by private individuals.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The community's collectivistic approach to farming ensured that everyone had enough food.
  • Her political philosophy is deeply collectivistic, prioritizing societal needs over individual freedoms.
  • The tribe has a collectivistic culture where all major decisions are made by the elders for the benefit of the whole.

Advanced Usage

• In sociological contexts: Used to describe cultures or societies where group harmony, interdependence, and shared responsibility are core values, often contrasted with "individualistic" cultures.

  • The study compared the collectivistic societies of East Asia with the more individualistic societies of North America.

• In economic theory: Describes systems where capital and assets are owned collectively.

  • The proposed reform was criticized for its collectivistic tendencies toward nationalizing key industries.

Variants and Related Words

• Collectivism (n): The practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it; the socialist doctrine of collective ownership.

  • The party's ideology was rooted in collectivism.

• Collectivist (n/adj): (As a noun) A person who supports collectivism. (As an adjective) Another form meaning the same as 'collectivistic'.

  • He was a dedicated collectivist. (n)
  • They advocated for collectivist policies. (adj)

Synonyms

• Communal: Shared by all members of a community; for common use.
• Socialistic: Relating to or advocating socialism, which often includes collectivistic principles of shared ownership.

Antonyms

• Individualistic: Prioritizing the independence and goals of the individual over those of the group.
• Privatized: Transferred from public or state ownership to private ownership.

Adjective

1. subscribing to the socialistic doctrine of ownership by the people collectively