修正主义 (xiū zhèng zhǔ yì) — revisionism

Definition

A political term: within Marxist doctrine, the tendency to revise or soften core revolutionary principles. The component 主义 marks it as a named ideology, not a personal opinion.

noun
revisionism

Examples

  • ，修正主义。
    Lì shǐ shàng, xiū zhèng zhǔ yì céng jīng bèi duō cì pī pàn.
    Historically, revisionism has been criticized many times.
  • 修正主义。
    Zhè piān wén zhāng tǎo lùn le xiū zhèng zhǔ yì duì guó jì gòng chǎn zhǔ yì yùn dòng de yǐng xiǎng.
    This article discusses the impact of revisionism on the international communist movement.
  • 修正主义。
    Tā yīn wèi jiān chí xiū zhèng zhǔ yì de guān diǎn ér bèi kāi chú chū dǎng.
    He was expelled from the party because he insisted on revisionist views.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

修正revise
修xiūrepair正zhèngcorrect
补充Verb + complement
主义ism
主zhǔ义yì

修正 means revise and 主义 means doctrine, so the word names a doctrine of revision.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彡彡shān
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu修xiū
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

修 is built from 攸, which gives the sound, and 彡, a set of three strokes that shows the meaning.

Open 修 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
止止zhǐ
Sound part声符shēngfú
丁
丁dīng正zhèng
Same sound today

正 pairs 止 with 丁; 止 marks the sense and 丁 gives the sound.

Open 正 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The old forms that became 主 showed a lamp or torch with a flame at the top; other forms showed wood on fire or a spirit tablet.

Open 主 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

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