anti-intellectualism

American  

[an-tee-in-tl-ek-choo-uh-liz-uhm, an-tahy‑] / ˌæn tiˌɪn tlˈɛk tʃu əˌlɪz əm, ˌæn taɪ‑ /

noun

1. opposition to or hostility toward intellectuals and the modern academic, artistic, social, religious, and other theories associated with them.

   These “denial” movements are manifestations of a growing anti-intellectualism arising against science and scientists.

2. the belief or doctrine that intellect and reason are less important than actions and emotions in solving practical problems and understanding reality.

   Much of the country’s cultural history reflects a swinging back and forth between collective action and a rugged individualism based on anti-intellectualism.

---

Etymology

Origin of anti-intellectualism

anti- ( def. ) + intellectualism

Example Sentences

“I think there’s a rising tide of anti-intellectualism in this country, and it’s really hard to see because there’s nothing wrong with being educated and learning things,” she said.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 21, 2023

A champion of drama as “a source of consciousness,” Gilman challenged the entrenched anti-intellectualism of the American theater.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2023

In the decades since the Vietnam memorial opened, Americans have become increasingly sophisticated in their anti-intellectualism, tenacious skeptics of ambiguity, adept at finding dark meaning in public art.

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2022

As sociologist Neil Postman famously warned in the title of his best-known work, the American people have "amused themselves to death" through a culture of anti-intellectualism, and the superficial, immediate gratification of mass media.

From Salon • Mar. 25, 2022

This mental attitude, which he took early in life, became the foundation of his 'personalist' philosophy, and of the anti-intellectualism which was the negative side of it.

From Outspoken Essays by Inge, William Ralph