big government
nounDefinition of big government
: government that is regarded as infringing upon the rights of individual citizens because of its extensive bureaucracy and intrusive regulations and policies Big government, in the minds of many Americans, had become the problem, not the solution. —Tom Morganthau Especially coming from a Republican, the Hyde proposals smack uncharacteristically of Big Government, critics say. —John Cloud
Examples of big government in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The lessons of Bill Clinton’s victory in 1992 and the backlash against Barack Obama’s attempts to fix health care seemed to be that the country is as hostile to big government as ever. — The Economist, "Fork in the roadShould the party move to the left or to the centre?," 12 July 2018 Twenty years ago a Democratic president declared that the era of big government was over. — The Economist, "Fork in the roadShould the party move to the left or to the centre?," 12 July 2018 Sanders, who may run again in 2020, has championed a big government agenda, including Medicare for all and free college. — Deirdre Shesgreen, USA TODAY, "Moderate Democrats push back against "wild-eyed" leftward lurch of the party," 12 July 2018 The problem with the Bush administration, by his diagnosis, was not a neglect of middle-class interests in favor of laissez-faire but an excessive indulgence of big government, and insufficient devotion to dismantling the welfare state. — Dylan Matthews, Vox, "Paul Ryan paved the way for Trump’s takeover of the Republican Party," 11 Apr. 2018 Small government is more popular than big government in theory, but voters do not like spending cuts. — The Economist, "Fork in the roadShould the party move to the left or to the centre?," 12 July 2018 Broadly speaking, Americans for Prosperity campaigns against big government, but many of its initiatives target public transit. — Hiroko Tabuchi, Anchorage Daily News, "How the Koch brothers are killing public transit projects around the country," 19 June 2018 Thanks to big government overreach, there are so many rules and regulations in the United States, all Americans have probably, accidentally violated at least one. — Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Pardons Dinesh D’Souza, in Triumph for Social Justice," 31 May 2018 Big business feasts on big government, and ObamaCare has been a bonanza for companies that have figured out how to exploit it. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Why CVS Loves ObamaCare," 29 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'big government.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on big government
What made you want to look up big government? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
Name that Food Quiz
-
- Name these cookies!
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Share big government
Resources for big government