Paternalism
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The treatment of people in a fatherly manner, especially by caring for them and sometimes being stern with them. countable, uncountable
"Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control."
- 2 the attitude (of a person or a government) that subordinates should be controlled in a fatherly way for their own good wordnet
- 3 The guiding of people in a manner that limits their autonomy in the name of their own well-being. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"When one announces "My my Tacubaya, if you don't know there don't go there", what this person actually refers to is the absence of governmental paternalism, and in certain areas of the capital, compels others to not attend those places they are unfamiliar with, where they are unaware of the terrain."
Etymology
From paternal + -ism.
Related phrases
More for "paternalism"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.