chauvinism

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: chau=vin=ism

CIDE DICTIONARY

chauvinism, n. [F. chauvinisme, from Nicolas Chauvin, a character represented as making grotesque and threatening displays of his attachment to his fallen chief, Napoleon I., in 1815 (in the play La Cocarde tricolor, 1831).].

•  Blind and absurd devotion to a fallen leader or an obsolete cause; hence, absurdly vainglorious or exaggerated patriotism.  [1913 Webster]
•  exaggerated and unreasoning partisanship to any group or cause; -- as, male chauvinism, i.e. belief in the superiority of males.  [PJC]

  " To have a generous belief in the greatness of one's country is not chauvinism. It is the character of the latter quality to be wildly extravagant, to be fretful and childish and silly, to resent a doubt as an insult, and to offend by its very frankness."  Prof. H. Tuttle.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

chauvinism, n.
1 exaggerated or aggressive patriotism.
2 excessive or prejudiced support or loyalty for one's cause or group or sex (male chauvinism).

Etymology

Chauvin, a Napoleonic veteran in the Cogniards' Cocarde Tricolore (1831)

THESAURUS

chauvinism

Americanism, Anglicism, Briticism, Jim Crow, Jim Crow law, aggression, aggressiveness, antagonism, anti-Semitism, apartheid, bellicism, bellicosity, belligerence, belligerency, black power, black supremacy, class consciousness, class distinction, class hatred, class prejudice, class war, color bar, color line, combativeness, contentiousness, discrimination, fascism, ferocity, fierceness, fight, flag waving, hostility, jingoism, know-nothingism, love of country, male chauvinist, martialism, militancy, militarism, minority prejudice, nationalism, nationality, overpatriotism, patriotics, patriotism, pugnaciousness, pugnacity, quarrelsomeness, race hatred, race prejudice, race snobbery, racial discrimination, racialism, racism, red-baiting, saber rattling, segregation, sex discrimination, sexism, social barrier, social discrimination, superpatriotism, truculence, ultranationalism, unfriendliness, unpeacefulness, warmongering, warpath, white power, white supremacy, xenophobia

ROGET THESAURUS

chauvinism

Boasting

N boasting, boast, vaunt, crake, pretense, pretensions, puff, puffery, flourish, fanfaronade, gasconade, blague, bluff, gas, highfalutin, highfaluting, hot air, spread-eagleism, brag, braggardism, bravado, bunkum, buncombe, jactitation, jactancy, bounce, venditation, vaporing, rodomontade, bombast, fine talking, tall talk, magniloquence, teratology, heroics, Chauvinism, exaggeration, vanity, vox et praeterea nihil, much cry and little wool, brutum fulmen, exultation, gloriation, glorification, flourish of trumpets, triumph, boaster, braggart, braggadocio, Gascon, fanfaron, pretender, soi-disant, blower, bluffer, Foxy Quiller, blusterer, charlatan, jack-pudding, trumpeter, puppy, boasting, magniloquent, flaming, Thrasonic, stilted, gasconading, braggart, boastful, pretentious, soi-disant, vainglorious, highfalutin, highfaluting, spread- eagle, elate, elated, jubilant, triumphant, exultant, in high feather, flushed, flushed with victory, cock-a-hoop, on stilts, vaunted, vauntingly, let the galled jade wince, facta non verba.