Collectivism

Etymology

From Latin "collectivus" (gathered together), from "colligere" (to gather), plus "-ism." The word arose in 19th-century political theory as a label for economic systems of common ownership, then broadened in social psychology to describe cultures that locate identity in the group.

noun · /kuh-LEK-tiv-iz-um/
A social outlook that prioritizes the group’s needs and cohesion over individual autonomy.
What it names
One pole of a deep cultural and political axis — where the group is the basic unit of meaning and obligation.
Example
The company’s collectivism showed in its refusal to name individual authors on any internal report.
Related idea
Collectivism subordinates the individual to the group; individualism reverses the priority, treating personal freedom and self-reliance as primary — most real societies sit somewhere on the spectrum between them.