virtue signaling

[vur-choo sig-nl-ing]

noun

Sometimes Disparaging.

1. the sharing of one's point of view on a social or political issue, often on social media, in order to garner praise or acknowledgment of one’s righteousness from others who share that point of view, or to passively rebuke those who do not: Their outraged virtue signaling comes across as contrived.

   The virtue signaling of solidarity with the victims can be a comforting affirmation of community.

   Their outraged virtue signaling comes across as contrived.

Word History and Origins

Origin of virtue signaling¹

Coined by James Bartholomew, British writer, in 2015

Example Sentences

Hank counters that he’d followed Maggie home from a party because he caught her cheating on her thesis about performative virtue signaling.

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What might once have seemed like a cosmetic performance of virtue signaling from the urban revival starter kit has become a legitimate site of political resistance.

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There’s no virtue signaling going on.

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Here, she examines the way virtue signaling and moral one-upmanship have warped the nonprofit field, turning public service into a competitive sport and corrupting even those who have dedicated themselves to lifting up their own communities.

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Zuckerberg has dismissed such platform departures as “virtue signaling.”

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When To Use

What does virtue signaling mean?

The term virtue signaling is often used to accuse someone of trying to win praise for showing support for a social cause without actually doing anything meaningful to advance it. This charge is often used against people for being self-righteously “woke” on social media.What are some variants of virtue signaling?(especially British) virtue signallingWhat are some other words related to virtue signaling?cancel culturecall-out cultureslacktivismsocial justice warrior