Italian words ending in -ismo (from English -ism)
Every English -ism has an Italian -ismo: tourism → turismo, optimism → ottimismo, capitalism → capitalismo. Learn it with -ista and you get the movement and its members together.
How the rule works
- All masculine: il turismo, l'ottimismo.
- Plural is -ismi.
- English -pt- and -ct- often become double consonants: optimism → ottimismo.
- The matching person ends in -ista: ottimismo → ottimista.
Start with these
- tourism → turismo
- mechanism → meccanismo
- racism → razzismo
- terrorism → terrorismo
- journalism → giornalismo
- autism → autismo
Every verified word in this family (161)
Each pair below was checked on both sides: the Italian word exists in a spell-checker and a frequency list, and the meaning was cross-checked rather than assumed from the spelling. Tap 🔊 to hear it.
- activism→attivismo
- agnosticism→agnosticismo
- albinism→albinismo
- alcoholism→alcolismo
- altruism→altruismo
- americanism→americanismo
- anarchism→anarchismo
- animism→animismo
- antagonism→antagonismo
- anticlericalism→anticlericalismo
- antisemitism→antisemitismo
- antiterrorism→antiterrorismo
- astigmatism→astigmatismo
- atavism→atavismo
- atheism→ateismo
- autism→autismo
- automatism→automatismo
- bioterrorism→bioterrorismo
- botulism→botulismo
- buddhism→buddhismo
- cannibalism→cannibalismo
- capitalism→capitalismo
- catechism→catechismo
- centralism→centralismo
- classicism→classicismo
- classism→classismo
- colloquialism→colloquialismo
- colonialism→colonialismo
- communism→comunismoFrench communisme
- conformism→conformismo
- conservatism→conservatorismo
- cretinism→cretinismo
- criticism→criticismo
- cubism→cubismo
- cynicism→cinismo
- dadaism→dadaismo
- darwinism→darwinismo
- determinism→determinismo
- dilettantism→dilettantismo
- docetism→docetismo
- dogmatism→dogmatismo
- dualism→dualismo
- ecoterrorism→ecoterrorismo
- egoism→egoismo
- egotism→egotismo
- embolism→embolismo
- ergotism→ergotismo
- evangelism→evangelismo
- extremism→estremismo
- fascism→fascismoLatin fascis
- fatalism→fatalismo
- fauvism→fauvismo
- federalism→federalismo
- feminism→femminismo
- feudalism→feudalismo
- formalism→formalismo
- futurism→futurismo
- galvanism→galvanismo
- geocentrism→geocentrismo
- geomagnetism→geomagnetismo
- gigantism→gigantismo
- globalism→globalismo
- gnosticism→gnosticismo
- heroism→eroismo
- idealism→idealismo
- illuminism→illuminismo
- illusionism→illusionismo
- imperialism→imperialismo
- impressionism→impressionismo
- individualism→individualismo
- infantilism→infantilismo
- islamism→islamismo
- journalism→giornalismoLatin diurnālis
- legalism→legalismo
- leninism→leninismo
- liberalism→liberalismo
- magnetism→magnetismo
- marxism→marxismo
- materialism→materialismo
- mechanism→meccanismo
- mercantilism→mercantilismo
- mesmerism→mesmerismo
- metabolism→metabolismo
- microorganism→microorganismo
- militarism→militarismo
- minimalism→minimalismo
- modernism→modernismo
- mongolism→mongolismo
- monism→monismo
- moralism→moralismo
- mormonism→mormonismo
- multiculturalism→multiculturalismo
- mutism→mutismo
- mysticism→misticismoLatin mysticus
- narcissism→narcisismo
- nationalism→nazionalismo
- naturalism→naturalismo
- naturism→naturismo
- nazism→nazismo
- negativism→negativismo
- neoclassicism→neoclassicismo
- neocolonialism→neocolonialismo
- neoliberalism→neoliberalismo
- neologism→neologismo
- neorealism→neorealismo
- nepotism→nepotismo
- occultism→occultismo
- onanism→onanismo
- opportunism→opportunismo
- optimism→ottimismoLatin optimus
- organism→organismo
- ostracism→ostracismo
- pacifism→pacifismo
- paleomagnetism→paleomagnetismo
- papism→papismo
- parallelism→parallelismo
- paternalism→paternalismo
- pessimism→pessimismo
- pluralism→pluralismo
- populism→populismo
- positivism→positivismo
- postmodernism→postmodernismo
- pragmatism→pragmatismo
- primitivism→primitivismo
- protagonism→protagonismo
- provincialism→provincialismo
- racism→razzismo
- radicalism→radicalismo
- realism→realismo
- relativism→relativismo
- revisionism→revisionismo
- revivalism→revivalismo
- romanticism→romanticismo
- satanism→satanismo
- sentimentalism→sentimentalismo
- separatism→separatismo
- sexism→sessismo
- shintoism→shintoismo
- socialism→socialismoLatin sociālis
- solipsism→solipsismo
- spiritism→spiritismo
- spiritualism→spiritualismo
- stalinism→stalinismo
- stoicism→stoicismo
- sufism→sufismo
- surrealism→surrealismo
- survivalism→survivalismo
- symbolism→simbolismoLatin symbolum
- tantrism→tantrismo
- taoism→taoismo
- terrorism→terrorismoLatin terror
- tourism→turismoEnglish tourism
- traumatism→traumatismo
- tribalism→tribalismo
- tropism→tropismo
- vampirism→vampirismo
- vandalism→vandalismoLatin Vandalus
- vegetarianism→vegetarianismo
- ventriloquism→ventriloquismo
- vigilantism→vigilantismo
- vulcanism→vulcanismo
FAQ
Why ottimismo and not optimismo?
Italian assimilated Latin -pt- into -tt-. The same change gives ottimo (optimal) and settembre (September).
Are these words used in ordinary speech?
Yes — turismo is on street signs, and the whole family shows up constantly in news and conversation.
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