pablum

noun

pab·​lum ˈpa-bləm How to pronounce pablum (audio)

Examples of pablum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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At the time, his comments were widely dismissed in both U.S. and European policy circles as either populist pablum or unnecessarily provocative. Jesus Mesa, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 June 2025 When any Democratic politician, including Gov. JB Pritzker, dares to stand up to extreme Republican rhetoric with any language beyond polite pablum and pious platitudes, pundits tell Democrats to lower the volume, cut the contempt and be nice. Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2025 The resulting excess of unchecked pablum and misinformation depressed not only outside observers but also many of the more seasoned members of the Republican foreign policy community who took the subject seriously. Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 1 Jan. 2013 The largely receptive crowd often cheered at the scattershot injection of issues from the price of eggs to transgender rights, a microcosm of an era when even the pablum of a graduation speech cannot escape the politics of the moment. Erica L. Green, New York Times, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for pablum

Word History

Etymology

from Pablum, a trademark for an infant cereal

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pablum was in 1932

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Cite this Entry

“Pablum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pablum. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.

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