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
The old racial incentive structures—the benefits and liabilities that accompany being of color—have twisted and collapsed under the weight of polarization, identity politics, and, yes, progress.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2024
In our country, identity politics have become a binary point of view.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 12 Aug. 2024
There in the Rust Belt, practical, bread-and-butter policies that help put food on the table tend to matter more than the identity politics and culture wars over which the two parties frequently bicker.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2024
Black Democrat leaders demonize their opponents and use tribalism to keep identity politics going strong.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for identity politics 
Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2024
In our country, identity politics have become a binary point of view.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 12 Aug. 2024
There in the Rust Belt, practical, bread-and-butter policies that help put food on the table tend to matter more than the identity politics and culture wars over which the two parties frequently bicker.
—Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2024
Black Democrat leaders demonize their opponents and use tribalism to keep identity politics going strong.
—Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for identity politics
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'identity politics.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near identity politics
Cite this Entry
“Identity politics.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/identity%20politics. Accessed 17 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share