McCarthyism

American  

[muh-kahr-thee-iz-uhm] / məˈkɑr θiˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-Communist activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence.

2. the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism.

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McCarthyism British  

/ məˈkɑːθɪˌɪzəm /

noun

1. the practice of making unsubstantiated accusations of disloyalty or Communist leanings

2. the use of unsupported accusations for any purpose

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McCarthyism Cultural  

1. The extreme opposition to communism shown by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and his supporters in the 1940s and 1950s.

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Discover More

McCarthyism has become a general term for the hysterical investigation of a government's opponents or the publicizing of accusations against these opponents without sufficient evidence to support the charges.

Other Word Forms

• McCarthyite
  noun

Etymology

Origin of McCarthyism

1950, after J. R. McCarthy; see -ism

Example Sentences

McCarthyism is remembered so well because it was finally extinguished by the mainstream: Congress censured McCarthy, and Eisenhower criticized him.

From Salon • Oct. 14, 2025

The following essay is based on Clay Risen’s new book Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America, out from Scribner on March 18.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2025

The Lavender Scare and McCarthyism serve as the backdrop for Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers,” a miniseries based on Thomas Mallon’s 2007 novel that stars Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2023

She spoke out against investigations against her fellow scientists during the wave of McCarthyism that spread across the US, and she even wrote to the Atomic Energy Commission to complain about the proceedings.

From Scientific American • Aug. 24, 2023

"McCarthyism" became a catchphrase for the hunt for communist subversives, a frenzy that would engulf the United States for the rest of the 1950s.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau