PATERNALISM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does paternalism mean? 

• PATERNALISM (noun)
  The noun PATERNALISM has 1 sense:

1. the attitude (of a person or a government) that subordinates should be controlled in a fatherly way for their own good

  Familiarity information: PATERNALISM used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PATERNALISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The attitude (of a person or a government) that subordinates should be controlled in a fatherly way for their own good

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("paternalism" is a kind of...):

attitude; mental attitude (a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways)

Domain category:

administration; governance; governing; government; government activity (the act of governing; exercising authority)

Derivation:

paternalistic (benevolent but sometimes intrusive)