narrow-mindedness

noun

as in bigotry
stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices the narrow-mindedness of some people prevents them from seeing that not all changes are for the worse

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 narrow-mindedness That narrow-mindedness is immediately apparent when Nick asks his congregation to help the group of unhoused people, a little over a dozen souls or so, who live in a makeshift camp on the edge of town. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026 Mann loves a man with an obsession, but this sentiment is about expanding that narrow-mindedness to make space in our lives for others. — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrow-mindedness
  1. bigotry
  2. intolerance
  3. dogmatism
  4. prejudice
  5. sectarianism
  6. small-mindedness
  7. bias
  8. illiberalism
Noun
  • As a piece of theater, the dialogue between the two men often lands on the heart like a wry, platonic romance — and the moments in which both take a stand against the bigotry of some of Seastone’s callers are suddenly and acutely poignant.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The department’s defenders maintain that progress has been made toward rooting out bigotry.
    — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of bigotry
Noun
  • Are the Norwegian authorities concerned for children’s safety — or are they offended by this family’s rigidly patriarchal beliefs, which include intolerance toward homosexuality?
    — Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The devastating loss of the coast has opened up the path for a change in the Saudis’ intolerance for dissent within the anti-Houthi coalition, however.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of intolerance
Noun
  • When authenticity becomes uncompromising, candor turns belligerent, consistency becomes rigid, or principled decision-making morphs into dogmatism, even the best intentions can backfire.
    — Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
  • By staying so close to black metal’s core sound, Marchenko does more to undermine the dogmatism—both racial and aesthetic—of Vikernes and his ilk than a more obviously experimental project might.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 31 Mar. 2026
Definition of dogmatism
Noun
  • Co-existence with extraterrestrials has seen humans revert to old habits of prejudice and apartheid; crime and corruption are rampant as ever; pop-up ads now irksomely manifest as holograms in your personal space.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Religion, fear, prejudice, affection, money, family history, and bewilderment can crowd the same room.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of prejudice
Noun
  • The pullout, however, leaves a new Iraqi government with the daunting task of loosening Iran’s grip on its neighbor, which has long been trapped in a cycle of sectarianism, foreign meddling and civil conflict.
    — Sarah Tamimi, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of sectarianism
Noun
  • Kingsolver makes this a more complicated notion by gradually revealing Livia’s secrets as well as her mother’s, and the two characters’ interactions exist in a realm beyond a simple critique driven by rural sexism or small-mindedness.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The show gestures at the classic targets of old-timey sexism, small-mindedness, and nativism—much of it embodied by Gasteyer’s scheming character—but only in the safest possible ways.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2026
Definition of small-mindedness
Noun
  • Known for her mastery of the bias cut, Vionnet created clothing that mirrored the natural movement of the body, while her innovative approach to cut and construction marked a move away from the structured Edwardian fashions of the prewar period.
    — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The biases also influenced decisions involving employment, investment and criminal behavior the models made at the researchers’ prompting.
    — Ashique KhudaBukhsh, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of bias
Noun
  • Resorting to violence merely strengthens the forces of illiberalism and sense of disorder upon which Trumpism feeds.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
  • The signal predicament of our era is the global rise of illiberalism and intolerance.
    — Christopher Beha, New Yorker, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of illiberalism

Browse Nearby Words

narrow-minded
narrow-mindedness
narrowness
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Cite this Entry

“Narrow-mindedness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow-mindedness. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

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