More recently, there has been an uproar about using words that end in “-ism” to describe specific types of discrimination. While there are some commonly known ones (such as “racism” and “sexism”), you may be interested to know some less-common ones, some as “beautyism.” Let’s take a look at its definition and put it to use.
Beautyism Definition
To answer the question quickly, “beautyism” is the discrimination of someone based on their physical appearance or beauty. In most cases, it is characterized by the assumption that “attractive” people are not smart or intellectual. For example:
- As a female in the workplace, I often experience sexism and beautyism.
- In a recent beautyism allegation, the board director resigned.
- I read a recent study on the effects of beautyism and racism in the workplace.
Other Words Ending In “-Ism”
As mentioned, words ending in “-ism” usually refer to situations involving some form of discrimination. Let’s consider some of the most common words that end in “-ism:”
- Beautyism: discrimination based on physical appearance and attractiveness.
- Ageism: discrimination based on age, Usually about people of an older age.
- Racism: discrimination based on race and skin color. Racism can additionally be related to cultural beliefs and practices associated with certain groups of people.
- Sexism: discrimination based on gender, usually about women.
In addition to the idea of discrimination, “-ism” can also refer to some verbs’ actions. For instance:
- Baptism
- Criticism
- Cataclysm
- Ostracism
- Plagiarism
- Exorcism
- Nepotism
“-ism” can also refer to a theory or practice. More specifically, it often is used to describe/name certain religions. For example:
- Buddhism
- Judaism
- Jainism
- Feminism
- Conservatism
Lastly, “-ism” also be used in nouns that describe a unique characteristic, especially in the English language. For instance:
- Stoicism
- Sophism
- Colloquialism
- Witticism
You can see a much larger list of words that end in “-ism,” categorised by word count, here.
Further reading – The Proper Use of -Esque
