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. 2021