copy and paste:
What does left mean?
In politics,
left refers to people and groups that have
liberal views. That generally means they support
progressive reforms, especially those seeking greater social and economic equality.
The
far left is often used for what is considered more extreme,
revolutionary views, such as
communism and
socialism. Collectively, people and groups, as well as the positions they hold, are referred to as
the Left or the
left wing.
What does right mean?
The word
right, in contrast, refers to people or groups that have
conservative views. That generally means they are disposed to preserving existing conditions and institutions. Or, they want to restore traditional ones and limit change.
The
far right is often used for more extreme,
nationalistic viewpoints, including
fascism and some oppressive ideologies. People and groups, as well as their positions, are collectively referred to as
the Right or the
right wing.