-ism, -ismus

(Greek, ismos; Latin, ismus: a suffix: belief in, practice of, condition of, process, characteristic behavior or manner, abnormal state, distinctive feature or trait)

acromegaloidism (s) (noun) (no pl)
A bodily condition resembling acromegaly but not due to pituitary disorder; pseudoacromegaly: Acromegaloidism can be triggered by a tumor in the lungs, in the pancreas, or in the adrenal glands.

It is often connected to an insulin resistance.

acrosticism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The art of composing poems in which the lines begin with letters of the alphabet and form a word, motto, or saying: Nigel was very talented in writing poems and was interested in the technique of acrosticism where the first, middle , or the final letters of a line spell a word or phrase.
acrotism (s) (adjective) (no pi)
Absence or imperceptibility of the pulse:; pulslessness: When Jack's father suddenly fainted, the paramedics had to check him for injuries, acrotism, and consciousness.

When acrotism had been confirmed of the murdered person at the scene of the crime, a medical examiner had to continue examinations of the corpse to find out what injuries led to the victim's death..

acrotropism (noun) (no pl)
The continued growth of a plant in the same direction in which it originally started: Mr. Clark, Jim's biology teacher, told the class that they should watch a plant for weeks and see if acrotropism was the method of its development and, in addition, to take photos to document their research.
actinism (s) (noun), activisms (pl)
The ability of various forms of radiation to produce chemical changes or effects: Actinism is the process of changing the intrinsic property of ultraviolet light, X-rays, or sunlight in radiation into photochemical activity.
adactylism (s) (noun), adactylisms (pl)
The congenital (at birth) absence of fingers and/or toes.
adrenalism (s) (noun) (no pl)
One of the possible illnesses of adrenal function: The disorder adrenalism can be a decreased function of the adrenal glands, or of a small endocrine gland.
Adventism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The doctrine of any Christian religion that the second coming of Christ is impending: Adventism relates to the Adventist Christian movement which was established in the 19th century.by William Miller in the United States
aeroembolism (s) (noun), aeroembolisms (pl)
An embolism formed by air bubbles in the blood or tissues: Aeroembolism results from the admission of air bubbles in the blood.

Aeroembolism can accidentally occur during surgery by a hypodermic injection or from a rapid change in pressure, also known as "decompression sickness".

aeronautism (s) (noun), aeronautisms (pl)
The technique of rising and floating in the sky: In order to be successful in operating a balloon, it is necessary to learn all the facts and information regarding aeronautism!
aerotropism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The movement of an organism toward or away from a supply of air. Aerotropism is the growth of a plant in the direction of an air supply, such as an air bubble in a bacterial culture chamber.

Aerotropsim applies to either a positive reaction, or towards air, or a negative reaction, which is away from air.

Aerotropism can also be the reaction to gases, generally to oxygen, particularly the growth curvature of roots or other parts of plants to changes in oxygen tension.

aestheticism, estheticism (s) (noun); aestheticisms; estheticisms (pl)
1. The belief in beauty as the basic standard of value in human life, underlying all moral and other considerations: In her dress and demeanor, Catherine practiced aestheticism believing that beauty and grace are essential to everyday life.
2. A great love for, and sensitivity to beauty and the arts: Chris's eyes shined with an estheticism for the charm of the countryside and the architecture of the village.

I’m tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That’s deep enough. What do you want—an adorable pancreas?

-Jean Kerr
Afro-pessimism, Afro pessimism
The notion that the future of Africa is bleak because of the multitudes of problems faced by the continent.
agapism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The doctrine exalting the value of love, especially in its general, nonsexual sense: Agapism was a belief in an unselfish, benevolent brotherly love.

An iconoclastic view: " 'Love Feast,' first of Aphrodite's holy whores (Horae), was canonized as a Christian saint when icons of the Horae were re-lableled 'virgin martyrs': Sts. Agape, Chione, and Irene. Agape originally personified the rite of sexual communion, as practiced in Aphrodite's temples and adopted by some early Christian sects as a Tantric type of 'spiritual marriage'. By the 7th century C.E. (Common Era), the agape ceremony was declared heretical, but it continued secretly throughout the Middle Ages."

—Barbara G. Walker, The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets
Harper San Francisco; 1983; page 12.
agathism (s) (noun) (no pl)
The belief that all things tend towards ultimate good: Agathism, a doctrine stating that everything ends well, is distinguished from optimism which holds that all things are now for the best.

Agathism is a system that recognizes the existence of evil, but holds that all things tend toward good.

The idea of agathism is the ultimate triumph of good despite any evil conditions or methods.