Definition of chauvinism
1 : excessive or blind patriotism — compare jingoism his fervent nationalism mutated into blatant chauvinism — Elizabeth Fuller
2 : undue partiality or attachment to a group or place to which one belongs or has belonged regional chauvinism
3 : an attitude of superiority toward members of the opposite sex male chauvinism; also : behavior expressive of such an attitude
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
Examples of chauvinism in a Sentence
their ingrained chauvinism has blinded them to their country's faults
Recent Examples of chauvinism from the Web
-
That’s when the brunt of chauvinism started, something neither Guthrie nor Vollstedt had predicted.
-
Not that this movie isn't laden with male chauvinism, not to mention plain silly at times.
-
This may seem an overblown caricature, but to many native Manhattanites the thought of becoming part of the bridge-and-tunnel crowd is filled with dread, because the Manhattan lifestyle is one of inherent chauvinism.
-
In the Arctic, English chauvinism led to the death of untold numbers of Englishmen.
-
Every day seemed to bring a new display of chauvinism.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'chauvinism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of chauvinism
French chauvinisme, from Nicolas Chauvin, character noted for his excessive patriotism and devotion to Napoleon in Théodore and Hippolyte Cogniard's play La Cocarde tricolore (1831)
CHAUVINISM Defined for English Language Learners
chauvinism
playDefinition of chauvinism for English Language Learners
-
: an attitude that the members of your own sex are always better than those of the opposite sex
-
: the belief that your country, race, etc., is better than any other
Learn More about chauvinism
-
See words that rhyme with chauvinism Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for chauvinism Spanish Central: Translation of chauvinism Nglish: Translation of chauvinism for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of chauvinism for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about chauvinism
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up chauvinism? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!