Fas·cism (fāsh'ĭz'əm) Pronunciation Key n. often Fascism
1.A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
2.A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government. Oppressive, dictatorial control.
So·cial·ism (sō'shə-lĭz'əm) Pronunciation Key n.
1.Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.
2.The stage in Marxist-Leninist theory intermediate between capitalism and communism, in which collective ownership of the economy under the dictatorship of the proletariat has not yet been successfully achieved.
Com·mu·nism (kŏm'yə-nĭz'əm) Pronunciation Key n.
1.A theoretical economic system characterized by the collective ownership of property and by the organization of labor for the common advantage of all members.
2.Communism
A. A system of government in which the state plans and controls the economy and a single, often authoritarian party holds power, claiming to make progress toward a higher social order in which all goods are equally shared by the people.
B. The Marxist-Leninist version of Communist doctrine that advocates the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat.