capitalism: Meaning and Definition of

cap•i•tal•ism

Pronunciation: (kap'i-tl-iz"um), [key]
— n.
  1. an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations, esp. as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned means of wealth.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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