restrictionism

1 of 3

noun (1)

re·​stric·​tion·​ism ri-ˈstrik-shə-ˌni-zəm 

: a policy or philosophy favoring restriction (as of trade or immigration)

restrictionist

ri-ˈstrik-sh(ə-)nist 

adjective or noun

restrictionist

2 of 3

noun (2)

re·​stric·​tion·​ist

-sh(ə)nə̇st

plural -s

: an advocate of restriction or restrictionism

restrictionist

3 of 3

adjective

" 

: of, relating to, or concerned with restrictionism or restrictionists

restrictionist opinions

a restrictionist policy

Examples of restrictionism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Views on immigration may appear poles apart, but in truth, Democrats and Republicans alike set artificial limits on immigration based on a sliding scale of restrictionism. — Tanvi Misra, The New Republic, 7 Oct. 2021

Brimelow's book landed just as immigration politics was taking a hard turn toward restrictionism. — Nicole Hemmer, CNN, 15 Apr. 2021

Once a lonely cause, restrictionism had grown into a mature movement — an intellectual ecosystem of sorts — with groups specializing in areas as diverse as litigation and voter mobilization. — Jason Deparle, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2019

For decades, conventional wisdom held that immigration restrictionism was a political loser. — Jason L. Riley, WSJ, 12 Feb. 2019

On the right, the American Conservative — usually sympathetic to immigration restrictionism — ran an op-ed from a scholar at the Cato Institute, which does not share those views. — Dara Lind, Vox, 23 July 2018

Peter Navarro and Wilbur Ross are steering him toward a trade war; Stephen Miller, John Kelly, and Jeff Sessions have encouraged his immigration restrictionism. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, 8 July 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun (2)

restriction + -ist

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1840, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for restrictionism

• activism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism
• calvinism