bossism

American

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

noun

control by bosses, especially political bosses.

bossism British

/ ˈbɒsˌɪzəm /

noun

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.

See Examples For:

bossism

Stripping Madigan’s bossism out of the statehouse would be like opening the windows to a dusty attic.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 8, 2020

“Al D’Amato accusing someone of bossism is like the Kardashians calling someone gaudy,” said Mike Morey, a spokesman for Ms. Quinn.

From New York Times ● May 16, 2013

Flynn's book, a record of such attention to detail, demonstrates again that eternal vigilance is the price of bossism.

From Time Magazine Archive

Crosscurrents swept in and out of the whole issue of labor bossism as the 1958 election turned its final leg.

From Time Magazine Archive

This act would either be regarded as arrant madness or attempted international bossism.

From The Progressive Democracy of James M. Cox by Charles E. Morris

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