Bourbonism

American  

[boor-buh-niz-uhm, bur-] / ˈbʊər bəˌnɪz əm, ˈbɜr- /

noun

1. adherence to the ideas and system of government practiced by the Bourbons.

2. extreme conservatism, especially in politics.

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Bourbonism British  

/ ˈbʊəbəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. support for the rule of the Bourbons, the European royal line that ruled in France from 1589 to 1793 and 1815–48, and in Spain (1700–1808; 1813–1931) and Naples and Sicily (1734–1806; 1815–1860)

2. extreme political and social conservatism

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Other Word Forms

• Bourbonian adjective
• Bourbonic adjective
• Bourbonist noun

Etymology

Origin of Bourbonism

An Americanism dating back to 1875–80; Bourbon + -ism

Example Sentences

Kentucky’s largest city, Louisville, has benefited from what its mayor Greg Fischer has called “bourbonism”, or the convergence of bourbon making and tourism.

From Reuters

And even when the Spanish people rose with splendid patriotic energy against the tyranny of Napoleon, fought their war of independence, and strove to establish their liberal Constitution of 1812 upon the wreck of broken Bourbonism, there was scarcely a glimmer of intellectual inspiration such as those deeds might have been expected to produce.

From Project Gutenberg

The fact is, we whites are in no position to indulge in the luxury of Bourbonism.

From Project Gutenberg

But ahead lies the danger of the fifth stage: the coming of a dictator still fired by some revolutionary zeal, and beyond that, the possibility, of a Bourbonism restored.

From Time Magazine Archive

The high tide of reaction was reached in 1935, when the most charitable liberal observation was the New Republic's: that that year's convention was a "perfect example of Bourbonism in full flower."

From Time Magazine Archive