adventurism
Americannoun
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defiance or disregard of accepted standards of behavior.
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rash or irresponsible policies, methods, or actions, especially in political or international affairs.
noun
Usage
What does adventurism mean? Adventurism is recklessness or risk-taking that disregards accepted standards of behavior. It is often used in political context to refer to rash or reckless policies or military actions. Unlike adventure and adventurous, which are almost always used positively, adventurism is almost always used negatively. It is typically used in discussion of political policies or actions considered irresponsible and poorly planned or thought out. Example: The unrest in the region follows decades of imperial adventurism that ignored the balance of power between the different groups.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adventurism
1835–45; adventure + -ism, as translation of Russian avantyurízm
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.
The two had a deep and enduring friendship, as both were storytellers and bullshitters with a shared interest in overseas military adventurism.
From Slate ● Jul. 14, 2026
The founders may have opted for more permissive language because they were relying on norms and a jealous legislative branch to constrain presidential adventurism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2025
Call it curiosity or just pure adventurism, but my imagination can only take me so far.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2025
That’s bad news for regulatory adventurism at the SEC, Barr believes.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2022
Iran's senior armed forces spokesman, Abolfazl Shekarchi, on Tuesday denounced reports of maritime incidents and hijacking in the Gulf area as "a kind of psychological warfare and setting the stage for new bouts of adventurism".
From Reuters ● Aug. 4, 2021
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.
