paternalism

[ puh-tur-nl-iz-uhm ]

/ pəˈtɜr nlˌɪz əm /

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See synonyms for: paternalism / paternalistic on Thesaurus.com

Definition of paternalism

noun

the system, principle, or practice of managing or governing individuals, businesses, nations, etc., in an outwardly benevolent, but often condescending or controlling way: The employees objected to the paternalism of their former boss.

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Origin of paternalism

First recorded in 1880–85; paternal + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM paternalism

pa·ter·nal·ist, noun, adjectivepa·ter·nal·is·tic

[puh-tur-nl-is-tik] /pəˌtɜr nlˈɪs tɪk/ adjective

Words nearby paternalism

Patent Rolls, patent still, pater, paterfamilias, paternal, paternalism, paternalistic, paternity, paternity leave, paternity suit, paternity test

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use paternalism in a sentence

Fragments remained, however, and historians have reassembled them, puncturing the myths of paternalism and progress, and demonstrating liberalism’s perfidiousness across the empire and at home.
Britain Can No Longer Hide Behind the Myth That Its Empire Was Benign|Caroline Elkins|April 2, 2022|Time
A little paternalism is a smart way to mitigate unnecessary risks.
Open-Water Swimming and Other Acts of Civil Disobedience|jversteegh|August 25, 2021|Outside Online
Fortunately, the question of whether Mill’s harm principle should apply to vaccine passports doesn’t require a judgment about whether such indirect paternalism is ever permissible.
The Economic Case for Vaccine Passports - Facts So Romantic|Robert H. Frank|August 17, 2021|Nautilus
Meanwhile, a paternalism set in among business leaders who, in the words of economist Herbert Simon, became “profit satisficers,” putting the interests of workers and communities on par with those of shareholders.
From commerce to chaos: An economic history of the United States|Steven Pearlstein|June 4, 2021|Washington Post

The pendulum has swung too far in the other direction from physician paternalism towards willful ignorance by patients.
Why Smart People Are Dumb Patients|Jean Kim|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At issue is whether government paternalism or consumer freedom should govern access to genetic information.
23andMe and Me: Why Policymakers Should Set the Genetic Testing Company Free|Charles C. Johnson|February 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It reinforces the censoriousness and paternalism present among Obama and his allies.
The GOP’s Huge, Growing Modernity Gap|Lloyd Green|June 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The provision of free food harks back to an older era of corporate paternalism.
Forcing Workers To Pay a Tax on Lunch Is Unfair|Daniel Gross|April 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They have clearly embraced financial paternalism as a core part of their mission.
The Four Most Important Things You Need to Know About the New Mortgage Rules|Megan McArdle|January 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The cry of paternalism is quickly raised, on the one hand, of socialism, on the other.
Euthenics, the science of controllable environment|Ellen H. Richards
Paternalism, or anything that looks like it, must be studiously avoided.
United States Steel|Arundel Cotter
National socialism means paternalism, which, exercised by all the people, is the most hopeless kind of tyranny.
The Arena|Various
The pupildom of New France was continued far too long by an overstrained, narrow and jealous paternalism.
Montreal 1535-1914 under the French Rgime|William Henry Atherton
"The diggings will keep till the time's ripe," I said, assuming the paternalism forced on me.
The Voodoo Gold Trail|Walter Walden

British Dictionary definitions for paternalism

paternalism

/ (pəˈtɜːnəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

the attitude or policy of a government or other authority that manages the affairs of a country, company, community, etc, in the manner of a father, esp in usurping individual responsibility and the liberty of choice

Derived forms of paternalism

paternalist, noun, adjectivepaternalistic, adjectivepaternalistically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

paternalism

Definition of paternalism

Origin of paternalism

OTHER WORDS FROM paternalism

Words nearby paternalism

Words related to paternalism

How to use paternalism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for paternalism

Derived forms of paternalism