chauvinism

noun chau·vin·ism \ ˈshō-və-ˌni-zəm \

|Updated on: 2 Aug 2018

Examples: chauvinism in a Sentence

Definition of chauvinism

1 : an attitude of superiority toward members of the opposite sex

male chauvinism

; also : behavior expressive of such an attitude

2 : undue partiality or attachment to a group or place to which one belongs or has belonged

regional chauvinism

3 : excessive or blind patriotism — compare jingoism

his fervent nationalism mutated into blatant chauvinism
—Elizabeth Fuller

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chauvinist

play \-və-nist\ noun or adjective

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chauvinistic

play \ˌshō-və-ˈnis-tik\ adjective

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chauvinistically

play \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See chauvinism defined for English-language learners

See chauvinism defined for kids

Examples of chauvinism in a Sentence

their ingrained chauvinism has blinded them to their country's faults

Recent Examples of chauvinism from the Web

Mr Abadi does not share Mr Maliki’s Shia chauvinism and has canvassed Sunni and Kurdish votes.

— The Economist, "A cleric who once tormented America seems to have won Iraq’s election," 19 May 2018
Viewing the world through these lenses led to the medicalization of any and all dissent: Anything less than full-throated chauvinism meant a person was deficient in Gemüt, which, in turn, was potentially damaging to the Volk.

— seth mnookin, New York Times, "Was Autism a Nazi Invention?," 18 June 2018
This abuse was part of a larger prejudice against marsupials that is sometimes called placental chauvinism.

— brooke jarvis, The New Yorker, "The Obsessive Search for the Tasmanian Tiger," 16 Jan. 2012
To generate a new surge, that example suggested, was likely to require another high-profile case of chauvinism.

— The Economist, "LexingtonWomen could be the undoing of Donald Trump," 17 Feb. 2018
But chauvinism came at a cost: an independent scene was developing, and isolation bred stasis.

— leo robson, The New Yorker, "How We Watch Soccer Now," 5 Dec. 2016
Uber made that move as part of an effort under Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi, who was appointed last August, to help overcome its reputation for being permissive about chauvinism.

— greg bensinger, WSJ, "Uber’s New Rules on Arbitration for Sex-Related Claims Face First Test," 21 May 2018
Feelings about chauvinism might be more congested closer to home.

— sharon mizota, latimes.com, "Junghwa Hong's burqa portraits: Can an artist reveal the soul if she can't see the face?," 19 May 2018
The women’s movement, galvanized in large part by the unrelenting male chauvinism of 1968’s leaders, intervened in history, as did movements for racial and ethnic equality.

— alan wolfe, The New Republic, "A Most Violent Year," 18 May 2018

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)

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First Known Use: 1851

in the meaning defined at sense 3

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chauvinism Synonyms

CHAUVINISM Defined for English Language Learners

chauvinism

noun

Definition 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