McCarthyism
noun
Mc·Car·thy·ism
mə-ˈkär-thē-ˌi-zəm 
also -ˈkär-tē-
: a mid-20th century political attitude marked by opposition to elements held to be subversive and by the use of unsubstantiated and widely publicized personal attacks
broadly
: defamation of character or reputation through such tactics
Examples of McCarthyism in a Sentence
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Even the topical songs of the sixties folk movement constituted a revival, a reinvention of the Popular Front-style political art of the thirties and forties, for the waning years of McCarthyism.
—
Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
The Lilith Society becomes an escape, particularly as the legacy of McCarthyism hovers over the city.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
History shows that nothing good came out of McCarthyism.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
Reiner’s father opposed the Communist hunt of McCarthyism in the 1950s and his mother, Estelle Reiner, a singer and actor, protested the Vietnam War.
—Jake Coyle, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
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Mitch Therieau, New Yorker, 7 Feb. 2026
The Lilith Society becomes an escape, particularly as the legacy of McCarthyism hovers over the city.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 4 Feb. 2026
History shows that nothing good came out of McCarthyism.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
Reiner’s father opposed the Communist hunt of McCarthyism in the 1950s and his mother, Estelle Reiner, a singer and actor, protested the Vietnam War.
—Jake Coyle, Fortune, 15 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for McCarthyism
Cite this Entry
“McCarthyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/McCarthyism. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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