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View synonyms for paternalism

paternalism

[ puh-tur-nl-iz-uhm ]

noun

  1. 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.



paternalism

/ pəˈtɜːnəˌlɪzəm /

noun

  1. 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


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Derived Forms

  • paˈternalist, nounadjective
  • paˌternalˈistically, adverb
  • paˌternalˈistic, adjective

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Other Words From

  • pa·ter·nal·ist noun adjective
  • pa·ter·nal·is·tic [p, uh, -tur-nl-, is, -tik] adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of paternalism1

First recorded in 1880–85; paternal + -ism

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Example Sentences

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.

From Time

A little paternalism is a smart way to mitigate unnecessary risks.

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.

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.

The pendulum has swung too far in the other direction from physician paternalism towards willful ignorance by patients.

At issue is whether government paternalism or consumer freedom should govern access to genetic information.

It reinforces the censoriousness and paternalism present among Obama and his allies.

The provision of free food harks back to an older era of corporate paternalism.

They have clearly embraced financial paternalism as a core part of their mission.

The cry of paternalism is quickly raised, on the one hand, of socialism, on the other.

Paternalism, or anything that looks like it, must be studiously avoided.

National socialism means paternalism, which, exercised by all the people, is the most hopeless kind of tyranny.

The pupildom of New France was continued far too long by an overstrained, narrow and jealous paternalism.

"The diggings will keep till the time's ripe," I said, assuming the paternalism forced on me.

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