demagogic

adjective

dem·​a·​gog·​ic ˌde-mə-ˈgä-gik How to pronounce demagogic (audio)
 also  -ˈgä-jik,
 or  -ˈgō-jik
: of, relating to, or characteristic of a demagogue : employing demagoguery
demagogically
ˌde-mə-ˈgä-gi-k(ə-)lē
-ˈgä-ji- How to pronounce demagogic (audio)
-ˈgō-ji-
adverb

Examples of demagogic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Orbán and Trump, both far-right populists defined by anti-immigrant and demagogic rhetoric, have long expressed mutual admiration for each other – despite the fact that critics say Orbán has weakened the country’s democratic institutions since returning to power in 2010. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 11 Mar. 2024 Such statements have struck many liberals as demagogic rhetoric piled atop a horrific crime. Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2024 But cracks emerged in Khan’s relationship with the military, and broader frustrations with his demagogic handling of government eventually snowballed into a political crisis that saw his rule ended in a vote of no-confidence. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 11 Feb. 2024 The deposition would not be a day at the beach, but the investigators doing the questioning tend to be less demagogic than the pols performing at public hearings. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024 In a class by itself: D.W. Griffith’s openly white supremacist, blatantly demagogic account of America’s Civil War and Reconstruction, quite possibly the most revered and reviled movie ever made and, in many ways, the most influential. J. Hoberman, The New Republic, 22 June 2023 Among the stories that Dominion says Fox promoted was that the company was actually the brainchild of associates of Hugo Chávez—Venezuela’s demagogic leftist President, who died in 2013—and was built to steal elections. Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2023 Like many businessmen of the age, Welch saw the New Deal as a stalking horse for an eventual socialist takeover of the United States; the same debased and demagogic vision of the political economy that had driven him from Harvard Law was now dictating the country’s economic policy. Chris Lehmann, The New Republic, 23 Nov. 2021 But Pearson became disgusted by McCarthy’s wild attacks on innocent public officials and systematically refuted them in his column, inadvertently contributing to the senator’s emergence as the nation’s leading anticommunist by calling attention to McCarthy’s demagogic crusade. Fergus M. Bordewich, WSJ, 21 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demagogic.' 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

borrowed from Greek dēmagōgikós, from dēmagōgós demagogue entry 1 + -ikos -ic entry 1

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of demagogic was in 1831

Dictionary Entries Near demagogic

Cite this Entry

“Demagogic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demagogic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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