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whataboutism
[ hwuht-uh-bou-tiz-uhm, wuht‐, hwot‐, wot‐ ]
/ ˌʰwʌt əˈbaʊ tɪz əm, ˌwʌt‐, ˌʰwɒt‐, ˌwɒt‐ /
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noun
a conversational tactic in which a person responds to an argument or attack by changing the subject to focus on someone else’s misconduct, implying that all criticism is invalid because no one is completely blameless: Excusing your mistakes with whataboutism is not the same as defending your record.
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Origin of whataboutism
First recorded in 1975–80; from the phrase what about? + -ism
Words nearby whataboutism
wharves, what, whata, what about, whataboutery, whataboutism, what'd, what-do-you-call-it, what do you know, what do you take me for?, whate'er
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use whataboutism in a sentence
I mean, I understand your aversion to whataboutism, which strikes me has been a growing scourge because no one believes anything at all, even if there’s ample evidence.
Bothsidesism and whataboutism are thriving in our era like spiky, poisonous weeds, and if villain backstories aren’t a cause of that problem, they’re surely a symptom.
From Cruella to Maleficent to the Joker: Is It Time to Retire the Villain Origin Story?|Stephanie Zacharek|May 26, 2021|Time