identity politics
noun
plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: politics in which groups of people having a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social, or cultural identity tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group
Although the UCLA center's standards promoted rigorous history, they set off a major culture war because of their relentless emphasis on identity politics.—
Diane Ravitch
Diane RavitchIdentity politics is contemporary shorthand for a group's assertion that it is a meaningful group; that it differs significantly from other groups; that its members share a history of injustice and grievance; and that its psychological and political mission is to explore, act out, act on and act up its group identity.—Catharine R. Stimpson
Catharine R. StimpsonA number of critics have viewed her work through a lens of identity politics, taking her to be some sort of oracle of Muslim womanhood.—Lauren Collins
Lauren CollinsExamples of identity politics in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And now identity politics has forced them to tear her down.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
Many Democrats embraced identity politics and Republicans fell in line with Donald Trump’s reinvention of the party with nationalist populism that spoke to working-class grievances against globalization and immigration.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2025
And still others are urging the party to avoid identity politics altogether — even when Republicans seem to be opening themselves up to a fierce counterattack.
—Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
The world has shifted off its axis since that relatively halcyon time when identity politics, the subject of FastHorse’s farce, could be debated, mocked, ranted over and defended without fear of governmental reprisal.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025
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Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
Many Democrats embraced identity politics and Republicans fell in line with Donald Trump’s reinvention of the party with nationalist populism that spoke to working-class grievances against globalization and immigration.
—Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2025
And still others are urging the party to avoid identity politics altogether — even when Republicans seem to be opening themselves up to a fierce counterattack.
—Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025
The world has shifted off its axis since that relatively halcyon time when identity politics, the subject of FastHorse’s farce, could be debated, mocked, ranted over and defended without fear of governmental reprisal.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for identity politics
Cite this Entry
“Identity politics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20politics. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.
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