What does "para-fascism" mean?

A social order giving off impressions of being dynamically fascist and populist, but trying to abstain from its most radical practices.

What is a synonym for "para-fascism"?

Common synonyms include: pseudo-fascism, semi-fascism.

How do you pronounce "para-fascism"?

Pronounced //ˌpæɹəˈfæʃɪz(ə)m//.

Para-fascism

//ˌpæɹəˈfæʃɪz(ə)m// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
A social order giving off impressions of being dynamically fascist and populist, but trying to abstain from its most radical practices. uncountable
"Portugal, Austria, Greece, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, the Baltic States, all provide examples of this Ersatz fascism, or what might be termed 'para-fascism'."

Synonyms

All synonyms

pseudo-fascism semi-fascism

Example

More examples

"Portugal, Austria, Greece, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, the Baltic States, all provide examples of this Ersatz fascism, or what might be termed 'para-fascism'."

Etymology

From para- (prefix meaning ‘alongside, beside’) + fascism.

Related phrases

para-fascist

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.