BARBARISM Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

barbarism

noun

Definition of barbarism

as in philistinism

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of barbarism God willing, this legal reckoning will come before Republicans descend into barbarism on the scale of their ideological forebears. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026 What drew me to the story was that gesture of humanity in the midst of barbarism. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 18 Feb. 2026 The Ghoul, who takes a serum to help retain his human memories, hasn’t found salvation or satisfaction in his barbarism, just more pain. — Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 5 Feb. 2026 The space between simple awareness and true understanding is narrow but chasmic — small enough to walk around but deep enough to contain so much of the worst barbarism this world has ever produced. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbarism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarism

Noun

Fascism lives in the upside-down; professional gaslighting features heavily amongst its weaponry, along with the blinking philistinism of the soulless.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Despite such official philistinism, Proust had already left an enduring mark on Irish letters and would remain a source of literary inspiration for the nation’s writers into the twenty-first century.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026

Definition of philistinism

Noun

And now creative events like the various fair demonstrations and exhibits bring the problem of illiteracy into public spaces and help remove the stigma surrounding it.

— Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026
Integrity Children's Fund is a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce illiteracy among Jamaican and immigrant children by providing educational resources to underprivileged schools, according to the organization's official website.

— Edward Segarra, USA Today, 18 May 2026

Definition of illiteracy

Noun

What’s interesting in this context is the ignorance portrayed by financial teams with respect to building core strategies.

— Dr. Saheer Nelliparamban, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
And ignorance — or, in the case of some people and/or bots on social media, denial that this is a thing at all — is not an excuse.

— David Aldridge, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of ignorance

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barbaric

barbarism

barbarity

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“Barbarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarism. Accessed 12 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of barbarism

noun

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