A political or ideological tendency toward deviation from official doctrine or established party policy.
From deviation + -ism suffix. This term developed in 20th-century Communist political discourse to describe heretical departures from orthodox ideology.
Deviationism became a dangerous label in Soviet history—Stalin accused rivals like Trotsky of 'left deviationism' or 'right deviationism' as justification for purges. The term shows how language becomes a weapon when conformity is enforced by violence.
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