Comstockery

noun

Com·​stock·​ery ˈkäm-ˌstä-kə-rē How to pronounce Comstockery (audio)
 also  ˈkəm-
1
: strict censorship of materials considered obscene
2
: censorious opposition to alleged immorality (as in literature)

Examples of Comstockery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That man died in 1915, leaving behind less a legacy and more a joke in the periodic usage of the term Comstockery to denote censorious impulses. Melissa Gira Grant, The New Republic, 27 Sep. 2023 People started using ‘Comstockery’ to make fun of any kind of art or storytelling or writing or politics that was old-fashioned and puritanical. Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2023 In the early 20th century, this idea of Comstockery becomes really popular. Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Comstockery.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Anthony Comstock + English -ery

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Comstockery was in 1905

Dictionary Entries Near Comstockery

Cite this Entry

“Comstockery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Comstockery. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.

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