brainwashing

noun

brain·wash·ing ˈbrān-ˌwȯ-shiŋ

-ˌwä-

: a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas

: persuasion by propaganda or salesmanship

brainwash

ˈbrān-ˌwȯsh

-ˌwäsh

transitive verb

brainwash noun

brainwasher noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Most of them were ready for the brainwashing like sheep going to slaughter. —

Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2012 Women waste so much time and energy on this nonsense, this brainwashing. —

Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2022 In contrast, Bistline's defense attorney, Daniel Kaiser, argued that his client was a victim of severe abuse and brainwashing by Bateman. —

Miguel Torres, The Arizona Republic, 15 Dec. 2022 The mass media is the biggest tool of indoctrination, brainwashing and propaganda the world has ever seen. —

Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2022 Meditation is self-brainwashing aimed at taming your monkey mind. —

John Horgan, Scientific American, 6 Feb. 2021 There is an exegesis on brainwashing and transcriptions of psychotherapy sessions; there are echoes and doublings. —

David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2022 My work deals with capitalism, consumerism, brainwashing, and the idea of a Black body, and how the Black body is being seen today. —

Rayna Reid, Essence, 1 Dec. 2021 Dark Persuasion suggests that the language of brainwashing is incommensurate with the problems of our time, and a hangover from the era of America’s most paranoid wars. —

Jo Livingstone, The New Republic, 17 Aug. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brainwashing.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

translation of Chinese (Beijing) xǐnǎo

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of brainwashing was in 1950

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Brainwashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brainwashing. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.

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Medical Definition

brainwashing

noun

brain·wash·ing ˈbrān-ˌwȯsh-iŋ, -ˌwäsh-

: a forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up basic political, social, or religious beliefs and attitudes and to accept contrasting regimented ideas

brainwash transitive verb

brainwash noun

brainwasher noun