McCarthyism

noun [U]

/məˈkɑː.θi.ɪ.zəm/

/-ˈkɑːr-/

Definition

› the act of accusing someone of something that is considered unacceptable by many people, especially when you have no proof: McCarthyism is named after the American politician Joseph McCarthy, who in the 1950s accused many Americans of being Communists. She was a victim of McCarthyism.Blaming and accusingUnited States politics and government McCarthyite

/-aɪt/ noun [C], adjective (also McCarthyist) › He led a McCarthyite witch hunt against homosexuals.United States politics and governmentBlaming and accusing

(Definition of McCarthyism noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Focus on the pronunciation of McCarthyism

Browse related topics

You are looking at an entry to do with Blaming & accusing, but you might be interested in these topics from the Expressing opposition & disapproval topic area: