paternalism

noun pa·ter·nal·ism \ pə-ˈtər-nə-ˌli-zəm \

|Updated on: 22 Jun 2018

Definition of paternalism

1 : a system under which an authority undertakes to supply needs or regulate conduct of those under its control in matters affecting them as individuals as well as in their relations to authority and to each other

the empire's paternalism in regard to its colonies

2 : a policy or practice based on or characteristic of paternalism

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paternalist

play \pə-ˈtər-nə-list\ noun or adjective

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paternalistic

play \pə-ˌtər-nə-ˈli-stik\ adjective

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paternalistically

play \pə-ˌtər-nə-ˈli-sti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See paternalism defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of paternalism from the Web

So this is not about white paternalism, this is about African-American agency.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The Unheralded Pioneers of 19th-Century America Were Free African-American Families," 19 June 2018
Jim Harbaugh means well, but his plan smacks of paternalism and delayed gratification.

— tim sullivan, The Courier-Journal, "Michigan coach's athlete payment plan to invest in stocks has its holes," 12 May 2018
The women of Olivia were revolutionary for completely sidestepping entertainment industry paternalism.

— bonnie j. morris, Smithsonian, "How Should We Archive the Soundtrack to 1970s Feminism?," 30 Mar. 2018
His regal paternalism is intended to suggest that an earlier order has been restored after decades of horrors, from American bombing in the early 1970s to the civil war of the 1980s, not to mention the Khmers Rouges’ grotesque Year Zero.

— The Economist, "Hun Sen, Cambodia’s ruler, has been in power too long," 22 Mar. 2018
Their romance is a study of love and difference, of how pity and paternalism can stifle true communication.

— andy borowitz, The New Yorker, "A Deaf Romance on Broadway in “Children of a Lesser God”," 15 Mar. 2018
Death Wish’s central character Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) was a cathartic figure, a symbol of paternalism and masculine strength as a way to enforce justice for crime and social unrest.

— dana schwartz, EW.com, "Death Wish director Eli Roth responds to critics of controversial remake," 5 Mar. 2018
Today, the paternalism struggles to disguise itself, as in the recent variety show.

— The Economist, "BanyanChina portrays racism as a Western problem," 22 Feb. 2018
Sweet is an unlikely advocate for a kind of soft paternalism.

— sandeep jauhar, New York Times, "A Doctor Argues That Her Profession Needs to Slow Down, Stat," 26 Jan. 2018

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

First Known Use of paternalism

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Other Sociology Terms

bourgeois, ethos, eugenics, exurb, incommunicado, intelligentsia, megalopolis, metrosexual, mores, subculture

PATERNALISM Defined for English Language Learners

paternalism

noun

Definition of paternalism for English Language Learners

: the attitude or actions of a person, organization, etc., that protects people and gives them what they need but does not give them any responsibility or freedom of choice