BharatNotes Fascism
noun (often capitalised as "Fascism" when referring specifically to Mussolini's Italian movement)Usage in a UPSC answer
The framers of the Constitution, mindful of how fascism had hollowed out parliamentary institutions across inter-war Europe, embedded checks such as judicial review and federalism precisely to prevent the concentration of unaccountable power in a single charismatic executive.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
fascist (n/adj), fascistic (adj), fascistically (adv), anti-fascist (adj/n), neo-fascism (n)
Root
Italian fascismo; fascio = bundle, group; Latin fascēs = bundle of rods (symbol of authority); -ismo = -ism
Etymology
From Italian fascismo, from fascio ("bundle, group") + -ismo ("-ism"); derived from Latin fascēs, the bundle of rods and an axe carried by Roman magistrates as a symbol of authority; Mussolini adopted the term for his Fasci di Combattimento ("fighting bands") in 1919.
Memory Hook
Picture a "bundle" of sticks bound tight into one unbreakable rod — Latin "fascis" — so a FASCIST state binds every citizen into one rigid, leader-controlled whole, crushing all who stand apart.
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