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bien pensant
or bien-pen·sant
[ byen pen-sahnt; French byan pahn-sahn ]
adjective
- blindly conventional or orthodox; having or based on beliefs that are acceptably proper or correct:
In bien pensant circles, it has become fashionable to speak of India and China in the same breath, though these countries have little in common.
noun
- a person who adopts conventional or orthodox beliefs without critical judgment:
I've been called an opinionated bien pensant.
bien-pensant
/ bjɛ̃pɑ̃sɑ̃ /
adjective
- right-thinking; orthodox
noun
- a right-thinking person
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Word History and Origins
Origin of bien pensant1
First recorded in 1840–45; from French: literally, “well thinking,” equivalent to bien, from Latin bene “well” + pensant, present participle of penser “to think”; pensive ( def )
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Word History and Origins
Origin of bien pensant1
literally: well-thinking
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Example Sentences
The left-wing bien-pensant read it for the purpose of expressing shocked outrage, the right-wing as a source for its outrage.
From The Daily Beast
Finally, may I end with an observation on what makes David so attractive to the bien-pensant crowd?
From The Daily Beast
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