revisionism

noun

re·​vi·​sion·​ism ri-ˈvi-zhə-ˌni-zəm 

1

: a movement in revolutionary Marxian socialism favoring an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary spirit

2

: advocacy of revision (as of a doctrine or policy or in historical analysis)

revisionist

ri-ˈvi-zhə-nist 

noun or adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Across the aisle, Daily Wire firebrand Matt Walsh recently made headlines -- at one point citing moi -- for arguing that black Americans are likely not worse off today than we would be had our ancestors remained in Africa and, more broadly, that historical revisionism of any kind is foolish. —Wilfred Reilly, National Review, 4 Apr. 2023

In a 2019 episode about Nina Simone on Revolutionary Left Radio, a leftist podcast about philosophy, history, and politics, the writer Zoé Samudzi reflects on this revisionism by analyzing the gap between the High Priestess of Soul’s brutal reality and her golden legacy. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Atlantic, 7 Aug. 2020

This Chinese revisionism, expressed not just in textbooks, but increasingly in film and television and proliferating museums, now posits China as the most important Asian battleground of World War II and accords China a decisive role in defeating the Japanese. —Howard W. French, WSJ, 13 Oct. 2020

Despite its critical and commercial success — and despite relatively few reputable sources online offering information about the time period and location in which the film is set — a small faction of people on social media have accused the film of historical revisionism. —Sonaiya Kelley, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2022

But Mank isn't a mere project of revisionism. —Jeva Lange, TheWeek, 4 Dec. 2020

We're still left with a romantic revisionism. —Carl Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 31 Jan. 2012

The film also plays fast and loose with historical accuracy; rather than a traditional biography, Corsage looks at a brief period in Elisabeth’s reign with a feminist revisionism that suggests a different end to her life (the real empress was assassinated in 1898 at the age of 60). —Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Dec. 2022

But in a sign that the idea of wiping Trilogy from streaming services might have ben a fleeting thought, a short time later Abel seemed to immediately reconsider his historical revisionism. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Nov. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined at sense 1