obscurantism
Americannoun
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opposition to the increase and spread of knowledge.
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deliberate obscurity or evasion of clarity.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obscurantism
First recorded in 1825–35; from German Obscurantismus, or French obscurantisme; see origin at obscurant, -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.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote that Mr Rushdie "embodied freedom and the fight against obscurantism" and was the victim "of a cowardly attack by the forces of hatred and barbarism".
From BBC • Aug. 12, 2022
“This committee, characterized for its secrecy and obscurantism, cannot be considered the appropriate venue to investigate the alleged violence of human rights,” said Esteban Beltrán, Amnesty’s director in Spain.
From Washington Times • May 5, 2022
“This committee, characterized for its secrecy and obscurantism, cannot be considered the appropriate venue to investigate the alleged violence of human rights,” said Esteban Beltrán, the director of the rights group in Spain.
From Seattle Times • May 5, 2022
Imbued with a sense of grandeur, France harks back to the Enlightenment to speak about fighting obscurantism in the world today and proffers its secular universalism as a model for modern societies.
From New York Times • Sep. 23, 2021
In a certain sense every form of responsibility is obscurantism.
From Suspended Judgments Essays on Books and Sensations by Powys, John Cowper
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
