capitalism

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Noun 1.2.1 Translations 1.2.2 External links

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From the Latin capitalis via the English root capital

First used by novelist William Thackeray in 1854 to mean "owners of capital", within a few years was being used by both Pierre Proudhon and Karl Marx as a pejorative for property-based, free market economics. Eventually caught on to widespread use politically, whether seen as good or bad[1].

[edit] Noun

capitalism (countable and uncountable; plural capitalisms)

1. (politics, uncountable) a socio-economic system based on private property rights, including the private ownership of resources or capital, with economic decisions made largely through the operation of an unregulated market.
2. (economics, uncountable) a socio-economic system based on the abstraction of resources into the form of privately-owned capital, with economic decisions made largely through the operation of an unregulated market.
3. (countable) a specific variation or implementation of either such socio-economic system.

[edit] Translations

[edit] External links

• Wikipedia article on capitalism
• Debate over definition of state capitalism on Wikipedia talk:state capitalism page