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bossism

American  
[baw-siz-uhm, bos-iz-] / ˈbɔ sɪz əm, ˈbɒs ɪz- /

noun

  1. control by bosses, especially political bosses.

bossism British  
/ ˈbɒsˌɪzəm /

noun

  1. the domination or the system of domination of political organizations by bosses

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bossism

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; boss 1 + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Bossism and boll weevil!" cried an outraged Charlie Goodell.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.