A system or philosophy based on loyalty to a club or group, sometimes at the expense of wider principles or the general public good.
From 'club' plus the suffix '-ism' meaning a system, practice, or principle. Developed as a critique of how club members prioritize their group's interests, similar to how '-ism' words like 'nationalism' describe broader ideological systems.
This word reveals how institutions can create their own moral universes where different rules apply—it's been used to criticize everything from political parties to corporate cultures where insiders get special treatment that outsiders never see.
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