doublethink

American  

[duhb-uhl-thingk] / ˈdʌb əlˌθɪŋk /

noun

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

---

doublethink British  

/ ˈdʌbəlˌθɪŋk /

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of doublethink

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

Example Sentences

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

From The Guardian • Dec. 10, 2019

There’s so much doublethink when it comes to the diet-industrial complex that I can barely stake out a coherent position.

From Slate • Aug. 28, 2019

From Orwell’s evocation of the totalitarian superstate of Oceania, new words entered the language: doublethink, thoughtcrime, newspeak and Big Brother.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 3, 2019

It wasn't hard to tell where she learned that doublethink can be incredibly effective.

From Salon • Sep. 1, 2018

But in any case an elaborate mental training, undergone in childhood and grouping itself round the Newspeak words crimestop, blackwhite, and doublethink, makes him unwilling and unable to think too deeply on any subject whatever.

From "1984" by George Orwell