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Communism or communism

English translation: Communism (the principles and practices; the actual govts.) and communism (the theory; communalism)

17:07 Dec 10, 2003
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
English term or phrase: Communism or communism
Should Communism always be capitalized? I find examples of capitals and lowercase all over internet.
Please give rules
nshriver
Selected answer:Communism (the principles and practices; the actual govts.) and communism (the theory; communalism)
Explanation:
So in other words, when referring to actual governments (Communist China) or behaviors (the Communist ideals of blah blah blah), you should capitalize (in the case of behaviors, it's actually permissible with or without); when speaking of more general theories and concepts, don't capitalize.

(Webster's New Univeral Unabridged Dictionary)
Selected response from:

Laurel Porter (X)
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +8Communism (the principles and practices; the actual govts.) and communism (the theory; communalism)
Laurel Porter (X)
4 +8Below
Kim Metzger
4 +1communism
David Moore (X)
4communism
Clauwolf
3communism
Ariser


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
communism


Explanation:
:)
2002. communism. ... In theory, under communism, all means of production are owned
in common, rather than by individuals (see Marxism and Marxism-Leninism). ...
www.bartleby.com/59/13/communism.html - 19k - Em cache - Páginas Semelhantes


Clauwolf
Local time: 12:49
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in pair: 412

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Nikita Kobrin: In this case just a web-link to a dictionary isn't an explanation.
1 day 6 hrs
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
communism or communsim
communism


Explanation:
Usually lower case, except as title or start of sentence.

Ariser
Native speaker of: Native in DutchDutch, Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 20
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +8
Communism (the principles and practices; the actual govts.) and communism (the theory; communalism)


Explanation:
So in other words, when referring to actual governments (Communist China) or behaviors (the Communist ideals of blah blah blah), you should capitalize (in the case of behaviors, it's actually permissible with or without); when speaking of more general theories and concepts, don't capitalize.

(Webster's New Univeral Unabridged Dictionary)

Laurel Porter (X)
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 36
Grading comment
Graded automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  vigbazsi
1 min
agree  Peter Linton (X): Oxford English Dictionary says "frequently with capital initial". I agree with the OED and this answer.
22 mins
agree  Will Matter: also a proper noun, so "C".
2 hrs
  -> thanks, you three!
agree  Empty Whiskey Glass
3 hrs
agree  Kriste (X)
14 hrs
agree  Gordon Darroch (X)
15 hrs
agree  Nikita Kobrin
1 day 6 hrs
  -> ...and thanks to all of you!
agree  Rajan Chopra
1 day 8 hrs
  -> thanks
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3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
communism or communsim
communism


Explanation:
is not a word I would capitalise; it is neither a name nor a geographical location.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2003-12-10 17:11:33 GMT)
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....nor is it named after either of those!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2003-12-10 17:12:33 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Nor is it a day of the week, month of the year....

David Moore (X)
Local time: 17:49
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in pair: 876

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  sarahl (X): unless it's a mountain!
9 mins
neutral  Laurel Porter (X): However, it can be a formal political party/school of thought, like the Nazis, the Republicans, and the Whigs... Not that those three have anything else in common, of course.
3 hrs
neutral  Refugio: It used to be capitalized a lot more often back in the Cold War days, especially as an official state political apparatus as opposed to an economic theory.
4 hrs
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +8
communism or communism
Below


Explanation:
This is what the highly respected "The Chicago Manual of Style" has to say on the subject: "One principle on which a choice between capitalizing and lowercasing is made is whether the term is used in a restricted, official way or in a more generic, less official way. When one has in mind an actual follower of the Bolshevist cause in early nineteenth-century Russia, for instance, the term should be capitalized: "They had been identified by the state police as Bolshevists." If one refers less historically to someone considered to be of a radical and generally "bolshevist" inclination, however, lowercase should be chosen: "The man is a bolshevist."

The same principle applies to communism vs Communism

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 09:49
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in pair: 2249

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Enza Longo
5 mins
agree  RHELLER: yes, or the (old) Communist regime in China (referring to a specific group)
59 mins
agree  Laurel Porter (X): good additional explanation
2 hrs
agree  jccantrell: Nothing like a reference book to set one straight.
3 hrs
agree  Empty Whiskey Glass
3 hrs
agree  Gordon Darroch (X)
14 hrs
agree  Nikita Kobrin
1 day 6 hrs
agree  Rajan Chopra
1 day 8 hrs
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