barbarism
noun
bar·ba·rism
| \ ˈbär-bə-ˌri-zəm
\
\
Definition of barbarism
1a
: a barbarian or barbarous social or intellectual condition : backwardness
b
: the practice or display of barbarian acts, attitudes, or ideas
2
: an idea, act, or expression that in form or use offends against contemporary standards of good taste or acceptability
Examples of barbarism in a Sentence
The barbarism of his dictatorship cannot be ignored.
Such barbarisms cannot be tolerated.
Recent Examples on the Web
What seems inarguable, however, is the barbarism of a policy that for nearly four decades restricted Chinese families from having more than one child. — Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘One Child Nation’ is a powerful, painful look at impact of China’s one-child policy," 7 Aug. 2019 What seems inarguable, however, is the barbarism of a policy that for nearly four decades restricted Chinese families from having more than one child. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: ‘One Child Nation’ is a powerful, painful look at impact of China’s policy," 15 Aug. 2019 The magnitude of her loss, at this moment in our descent into barbarism, is incalculable. — Philip Kennicott, chicagotribune.com, "Obituaries are the only redemptive news anymore," 8 Aug. 2019 The shooting of two Nicaraguan university students in Managua’s Church of the Divine Mercy last week was a stunning act of barbarism even by the standards of strongman Daniel Ortega. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Ortega’s Reign of Terror," 20 July 2018 Many outsiders view the killing of a marine mammal as an act of barbarism, and Arctic communities don’t take kindly to being told that their only source of local food is immoral and off-limits. — Eva Holland, Smithsonian, "Where the Doomed, Beloved Polar Bear Is Still a Dangerous Predator," 16 May 2018 In the capital, Jakarta, the Indonesian Church Association strongly condemned this act of barbarism. — Kate Leaver, Teen Vogue, "At Least 13 People Are Dead After a Family of 6 Allegedly Bombed 3 Churches in Indonesia," 14 May 2018 Other shows in the genre, like Fear the Walking Dead, tend to quickly set characters at each other’s throats in an effort to show that civilization is a kind of communal dream, easily cast aside in favor of barbarism. — Asher Elbein, The Atlantic, "The Terror Is More Than a Chilling Monster Show," 1 May 2018 Germany’s plunge from the heights of civilization to the depths of barbarism is an everlasting shock. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, "How American Racism Influenced Hitler," 23 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barbarism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for barbarism
barbarism
noun
English Language Learners Definition of barbarism
: cruel and violent behavior
: very rude behavior
See the full definition for barbarism in the English Language Learners Dictionary