communist party: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Political, Academic, Historical, Journalistic
Quick answer
What does “communist party” mean?
A political party that follows the principles of communism, typically aiming for a classless society and state control of the means of production.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A political party that follows the principles of communism, typically aiming for a classless society and state control of the means of production.
Any political organization that explicitly identifies with Marxist-Leninist or other communist ideologies. In historical and modern contexts, this often refers to the ruling or dominant party in a one-party communist state, but also to opposition or minor parties in multi-party systems.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major lexical differences. Historically, 'Communist Party' had more political relevance in the UK with the CPGB, while in the US it has been a more marginal and historically controversial entity.
Connotations
In both varieties, the term carries strong ideological and historical connotations linked to the Cold War. In the UK, it may have stronger associations with trade union history. In the US, it often carries more overtly negative, anti-American connotations due to McCarthyism and the Red Scare.
Frequency
Comparable frequency in political/news discourse. In everyday US English, it may be used more often as a political pejorative.
Grammar
How to Use “communist party” in a Sentence
The [Communist Party] + [verb: ruled, governed, banned, collapsed][Country]'s + Communist Partya member of + the Communist PartyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “communist party” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The communist-party leadership met in secret.
- He had strong communist-party affiliations.
American English
- The communist-party officials were under surveillance.
- She studied communist-party structures.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in contexts like 'doing business in a Communist Party-controlled state.'
Academic
Frequent in political science, history, and economics to discuss governance, ideology, and historical movements.
Everyday
Used in political discussion, news consumption, and historical reference. Often carries strong emotional/ideological weight.
Technical
Specific in political theory to denote a party organised on democratic centralist lines, vanguard of the proletariat.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “communist party”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “communist party”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “communist party”
- Incorrect capitalisation when not a proper noun (e.g., 'He joined a communist Party'). Confusing 'the Communist Party' (specific) with 'a communist party' (generic).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is capitalised when it forms part of the official name of a specific party (e.g., the Communist Party of China). It is not capitalised when used generically (e.g., 'He joined a small communist party').
While both are left-wing, a communist party typically adheres to a more revolutionary, Marxist-Leninist ideology aiming for a classless, stateless society, often through a vanguard party. Socialist parties may advocate for social democracy or reformist socialism within existing democratic systems.
Yes, in a hyphenated form (communist-party). For example: 'communist-party officials' or 'communist-party ideology'. It functions as a compound modifier.
It is tied to 20th-century geopolitical conflicts (the Cold War), controversial historical regimes, and ongoing ideological battles. It can be a neutral descriptor, a term of pride, or a pejorative label depending on the speaker's context and viewpoint.
A political party that follows the principles of communism, typically aiming for a classless society and state control of the means of production.
Communist party is usually formal, political, academic, historical, journalistic in register.
Communist party: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒmjənɪst ˈpɑːti/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːmjənɪst ˈpɑːrti/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'COMMon goal of a classless UNION, held by a political PARTY' -> COMMUNIST PARTY.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE PARTY AS A MACHINE (well-oiled, hierarchical, efficient), THE PARTY AS A FAMILY (comrades, loyalty, paternalistic).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would the term 'communist party' most likely NOT be capitalised?