brainwashing

or brain-wash·ing, brain wash·ing

[ breyn-wosh-ing, -waw-shing ]

/ ˈbreɪnˌwɒʃ ɪŋ, -ˌwɔ ʃɪŋ /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for brainwashing on Thesaurus.com

Definition of brainwashing

noun

a method for systematically changing attitudes or altering beliefs, originated in totalitarian countries, especially through the use of torture, drugs, or psychological-stress techniques.

any method of controlled systematic indoctrination, especially one based on repetition or confusion: brainwashing by TV commercials.

an instance of subjecting or being subjected to such techniques: efforts to halt the brainwashing of captive audiences.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of brainwashing

First recorded in 1945–50; brain + washing

Words nearby brainwashing

Braintree, brain trust, brain truster, brain up, brainwash, brainwashing, brain wave, brainwork, brainworm, brainy, braird

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use brainwashing in a sentence

The term “brainwashing” dates to 1950, when a journalist and former OSS member named Edward Hunter wrote an article explaining why, in the waning days of the Korean War, American POWs defected to Korea and China.
Drawing a line from Cold War brainwashing to the misinformation age|Dina Temple-Raston|October 8, 2021|Washington Post
Over time, this brainwashing eats away at the psyche of youth as they grow and leads to the high rates of mental health issues in LGBTQ youth.
Opinion | LGBTQ youth face mental health challenges amid pandemic|Maeve Korengold|June 10, 2021|Washington Blade
So when we were thinking of interesting things that Chip could do to Dory, we started to look at people like Elizabeth Smart or Patty Hearst—and how brainwashing is a very real thing that’s been employed for thousands of years.
'Death is a Turning Point': Search Party's Creators Discuss Season 4 and the Shocking Finale Twist|Andrew R. Chow|January 28, 2021|Time
The gun control lobby engages in emotional brainwashing to further its attempts at disarming the American people.
A Gun Owner Speaks: My Case for Open Carry|CJ Grisham|June 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“Immediately the brainwashing began,” Egan told The Daily Beast.
‘I Considered Suicide,’ Alleged Sex Abuse Victim of Bryan Singer Tells The Daily Beast|Tim Teeman|April 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I think of a cult as brainwashing followers in some kind of weird philosophy,” he wrote in an email.
Buddhist Retreat’s Death Saga|Lizzie Crocker|July 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Why comics are diversifying—and what their creators say to groups accusing them of 'brainwashing' kids.
DC Comics’ New Gay Green Lantern & Marvel’s First Same-Sex Marriage|Melissa Leon|June 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This would have been the best way of demystifying this man, debunking his cause and de-brainwashing his followers.
Bin Laden Should Have Been Captured, Not Killed|Geoffrey Robertson|May 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The Lhari don't watch me too closely—they figure that anything I do they'll catch in the brainwashing.
The Colors of Space|Marion Zimmer Bradley
They should have done a better job of brainwashing, if they expected him to skulk in like a scared rabbit!
The Colors of Space|Marion Zimmer Bradley
The world was going to be run by telepaths, psychosis eliminated by brainwashing, intellect developed by hypnotic suggestion.
This Crowded Earth|Robert Bloch
But the targets of this brainwashing will do well to look to their Central European neighbours for an antidote.
After the Rain|Sam Vaknin
The voice chuckled, then said, "I haven't tried brainwashing yet."
The Unnecessary Man|Gordon Randall Garrett

Medical definitions for brainwashing

brainwashing

[ brān′wŏsh′ĭng ]

Inducing a person to modify his or her beliefs, attitudes, or behavior by conditioning through various forms of pressure or torture.

Cultural definitions for brainwashing

brainwashing

Indoctrination that forces people to abandon their beliefs in favor of another set of beliefs. Usually associated with military and political interrogation and religious conversion, brainwashing attempts, through prolonged stress, to break down an individual's physical and mental defenses. Brainwashing techniques range from vocal persuasion and threats to punishment, physical deprivation, mind-altering drugs, and severe physical torture.

brainwashing

or brain-wash·ing, brain wash·ing

Definition of brainwashing

Origin of brainwashing

Words nearby brainwashing

Words related to brainwashing

How to use brainwashing in a sentence

Medical definitions for brainwashing

Cultural definitions for brainwashing