Definitions for McCarthyism
məˈkɑr θiˌɪz əmmccarthy·ism

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. McCarthyismnoun

   unscrupulously accusing people of disloyalty (as by saying they were Communists)

GCIDERate this definition:3.5 / 2 votes

1. McCarthyismnoun

   Unscrupulously accusing people of disloyalty (as by saying they were Communists).

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. McCarthyismnoun

   The mass pressure, harassment, and/or blacklisting used to pressure people to follow popular political beliefs.

2. McCarthyismnoun

   The intense opposition, countering, fear and/or suspicion of Communism, particularly in the United States during the 1950s.

3. Etymology: Named for United States Senator Joseph McCarthy. Originates from a 1950 Washington Post political cartoon by Herbert Block.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. McCarthyism

   McCarthyism was the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism, and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner.The term originally referred to the controversial practices and policies of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy and covers the period of the late 1940s through the 1950s. It was characterized by heightened political repression and persecution of left-wing individuals, and a campaign spreading fear of alleged communist and socialist influence on American institutions and of espionage by Soviet agents. After the mid-1950s, McCarthyism began to decline, mainly due to Joseph McCarthy's gradual loss of public popularity and credibility after several of his accusations were found to be false, and sustained opposition from the U.S. Supreme Court led by Chief Justice Earl Warren on human rights grounds. The Warren Court made a series of rulings on civil and political rights that overturned several key laws and legislative directives, and helped bring an end to the Second Red Scare. Historians have suggested since the 1980s that as McCarthy's involvement was less central than that of others, a different and more accurate term should be used instead that more accurately conveys the breadth of the phenomenon, and that the term McCarthyism is now outdated. Ellen Schrecker has suggested that Hooverism after FBI Head J. Edgar Hoover is more appropriate.What would become known as the McCarthy era began before McCarthy's rise to national fame. Following the breakdown of the wartime East-West alliance with the Soviet Union, and with many remembering the First Red Scare, President Harry S. Truman signed an executive order in 1947 to screen federal employees for possible association with organizations deemed "totalitarian, fascist, communist, or subversive", or advocating "to alter the form of Government of the United States by unconstitutional means." The following year, the Czechoslovak coup by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia heightened concern in the West about Communist parties seizing power and the possibility of subversion. In 1949, a high-level State Department official was convicted of perjury in a case of espionage, and the Soviet Union tested a nuclear bomb. The Korean War started the next year, significantly raising tensions and fears of impending communist upheavals in the United States. In a speech in February 1950, McCarthy claimed to have a list of members of the Communist Party USA working in the State Department, which attracted substantial press attention, and the term McCarthyism was published for the first time in late March of that year in The Christian Science Monitor, along with a political cartoon by Herblock in The Washington Post. The term has since taken on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts to crack down on alleged "subversive" elements. In the early 21st century, the term is used more generally to describe reckless and unsubstantiated accusations of treason and far-left extremism, along with demagogic personal attacks on the character and patriotism of political adversaries. The primary targets for persecution were government employees, prominent figures in the entertainment industry, academics, left-wing politicians, and labor union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive and questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations and beliefs were often exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment and the destruction of their careers and livelihoods as a result of the crackdowns on suspected communists, and some were outright imprisoned. Most of these reprisals were initiated by trial verdicts that were later overturned, laws that were later struck down as unconstitutional, dismissals for reasons later declared illegal or actionable, and extra-judiciary procedures, such as informal blacklists by employers and public institutions, that would come into general disrepute, though by then many lives had been ruined. The most notable examples of McCarthyism include the investigations of alleged communists that were conducted by Senator McCarthy, and the hearings conducted by the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC).

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. mccarthyism

   McCarthyism is a term referring to the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. It originated during the early Cold War period in the United States, particularly associated with Senator Joseph McCarthy's aggressive investigations to expose supposed Communist infiltration of various areas of U.S. society. The term is also used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, or efforts to suppress political dissent through fear and intimidation.

WikidataRate this definition:4.5 / 2 votes

1. McCarthyism

   McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. It also means "the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism." The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from 1950 to 1956 and characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries. During the McCarthy era, thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment and/or destruction of their careers; some even suffered imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts later overturned, laws that would be declared unconstitutional, dismissals for reasons later declared illegal or actionable, or extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute.

Matched Categories

1. • Witch-hunt

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

1. [["1952","2"],["1954","175"],["1955","9"],["1956","30"],["1957","8"],["1958","1"],["1960","6"],["1961","2"],["1963","8"],["1965","15"],["1966","3"],["1967","3"],["1968","84"],["1969","2"],["1970","23"],["1971","7"],["1972","5"],["1973","2"],["1974","2"],["1975","1"],["1976","11"],["1977","9"],["1978","12"],["1979","2"],["1980","3"],["1981","3"],["1982","5"],["1983","1"],["1984","3"],["1985","3"],["1986","2"],["1989","4"],["1990","3"],["1991","4"],["1992","18"],["1994","1"],["1995","2"],["1996","2"],["1997","2"],["1998","4"],["1999","4"],["2000","6"],["2001","1"],["2002","1"],["2003","3"],["2004","2"],["2005","25"],["2006","2"],["2007","4"],["2008","2"]]

How to pronounce McCarthyism?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say McCarthyism in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of McCarthyism in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of McCarthyism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of McCarthyism in a Sentence

1. Mike Turner:

   With McCarthyism, we had Russia chasing after Russian communists, and now we have Adam Schiff chasing after Russian collusion and those who would collude.

2. Sherrod Brown:

   Before today, I thought, red scare McCarthyism was rightly relegated to the dustbin of history, any American citizen who fled communist repression – whether it be FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams or OCC nominee Saule Omarova – should be lauded for their courage and conviction. I believe that my colleagues – from both sides of the aisle – will reject such character assassinations.

3. Wasserman Schultz:

   The Republican Party stands for turning the clock back to McCarthyism, god forbid this man would become president and would actually implement the outrageous proposal.

4. Ted Cruz:

   [I]t's really ugly. Quite frankly, it looked like I saw Ted Cruz commit a hate crime, in that hearing room. It was McCarthyism at its worst.

5. Devin Nunes:

   We’re not going to get into neo-McCarthyism era where we just start bringing in Americans just because they were mentioned in a press story.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=McCarthyism
2. ^ GCIDE
   https://gcide.gnu.org.ua/?q=McCarthyism
3. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Mccarthyism
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mccarthyism
5. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=McCarthyism
7. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=McCarthyism