McCarthyism

American  

[muh-kahr-thee-iz-uhm] / məˈkɑr θiˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, especially of pro-Communist activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence.

2. the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism.

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McCarthyism British  

/ məˈkɑːθɪˌɪzəm /

noun

1. the practice of making unsubstantiated accusations of disloyalty or Communist leanings

2. the use of unsupported accusations for any purpose

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McCarthyism Cultural  

1. The extreme opposition to communism shown by Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and his supporters in the 1940s and 1950s.

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McCarthyism has become a general term for the hysterical investigation of a government's opponents or the publicizing of accusations against these opponents without sufficient evidence to support the charges.

Other Word Forms

• McCarthyite
  noun

Etymology

Origin of McCarthyism

1950, after J. R. McCarthy; see -ism