doublethink

American  

[duhb-uhl-thingk] / ˈdʌb əlˌθɪŋk /

noun

1. the acceptance of two contradictory ideas or beliefs at the same time.

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doublethink British  

/ ˈdʌbəlˌθɪŋk /

noun

1. deliberate, perverse, or unconscious acceptance or promulgation of conflicting facts, principles, etc

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Etymology

Origin of doublethink

double + think ¹; coined by George Orwell in his novel 1984 (1949)

Example Sentences

In Leavitt’s usage, “transparency” has become a form of Orwellian “doublespeak,” a word or phrase which through the process of “doublethink” had come to encompass its exact opposite meaning.

From Salon

Numerous commentators lamented that we were entering a new era of Orwellian doublethink.

From Nature

This is hardly Orwellian doublethink, however, this notion that even the worst among us shouldn’t be violated by our colleagues.

From The Guardian

Let’s pause for a moment to enjoy the brazen doublethink of the proposition “we stand by our film-makers” in a statement about torpedoing the work of film-makers.

From The Guardian

Its inventive vocabulary of state power and deception — Big Brother, Hate Week, Newspeak, doublethink, the Thought Police — clearly resonated with the despair of present-day Americans.

From New York Times