Lexicon category
Regime labels.
Historical regime names used as present-tense verdicts.
Fascist.
The word names a specific historical regime—Fascist Italy, 1922–1943—with a doctrine of state supremacy. It also gets used as a present-tense verdict for any authoritarian conduct. The test is whether the speaker names the historical object or substitutes a slogan for description.
Nazi.
The word names a specific party-state—the NSDAP and the Third Reich, 1933–1945—with a racial ideology and documented atrocities. It also gets used as a present-tense synonym for 'person I oppose.' The test is whether the speaker names the historical object or substitutes a slogan for description.
Communist.
The word names a historical doctrine and party-states. It also gets used as a present-tense smear for political opponents without naming the mechanism. The test is whether the speaker names the historical object or substitutes a verdict for inquiry.