politically correct

adjective

: conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated
political correctness noun

Example Sentences

He later realized that his response was not politically correct.
Recent Examples on the Web But other times, the barbs are derogatory and quite pointed, often targeting councilors of color or lamenting a society the user feels has grown too politically correct. Emma Platoff, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Apr. 2023 Jennifer Aniston knows not all of Gen Z sees her breakout '90s show Friends as politically correct…and has feelings about the series and the evolving landscape of comedy. Alyssa Bailey, ELLE, 30 Mar. 2023 Even today such talk is generally confined to background discussions because Wall Street remains institutionally politically correct. James Freeman, WSJ, 16 Mar. 2023 The danger of training AI to be woke – in other words, lie – is deadly — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 16, 2022 In February, a Twitter user posted a hypothetical question to ChatGPT in an effort to show how the technology was overly-skewed to be politically correct. Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2023 This is not about being politically correct. Rhonda Levaldo, Rolling Stone, 12 Feb. 2023 No part of American society is more tightly controlled by the politically correct than higher education. Michael Barone, Arkansas Online, 16 Jan. 2023 Forget about being politically correct. Emma Colton, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2022 Anyone who thought the politically correct rewriting would stop at the irreverent author of such children’s classics as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Fantastic Mr. Fox was, of course, sadly mistaken. Rich Lowry, National Review, 28 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'politically correct.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of politically correct was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near politically correct

Cite this Entry

“Politically correct.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/politically%20correct. Accessed 20 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

politically correct

adjective
: following the belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated
political correctness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on politically correct

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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