BARBARISM Synonyms: 32 Similar and Opposite Words

barbarism

noun

Definition of barbarism

as in philistinism

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of barbarism Appraisal will rely on the extent of your Radiohead fandom and your identification with creature-characters, often crying or cowering with their head in their hands, who are unremittingly sad and ashamed and embarrassed by the barbarism of simple existence. — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 May 2026 Netflix snagged the rights to this British four-episode adaptation of the classic William Golding novel about a group of schoolboys stranded on a remote island who build their own society, only to descend into barbarism and violence. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Apr. 2026 But the vast majority of us prefer civilization over barbarism, and there’s a value to that. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026 God willing, this legal reckoning will come before Republicans descend into barbarism on the scale of their ideological forebears. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for barbarism

Recent Examples of Synonyms for barbarism

Noun

Fascism lives in the upside-down; professional gaslighting features heavily amongst its weaponry, along with the blinking philistinism of the soulless.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 14 June 2026
Despite such official philistinism, Proust had already left an enduring mark on Irish letters and would remain a source of literary inspiration for the nation’s writers into the twenty-first century.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026

Definition of philistinism

Noun

There’s no danger of spontaneous mass illiteracy, but the complex cognitive skills that reading fosters start to degrade.

— Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
And now creative events like the various fair demonstrations and exhibits bring the problem of illiteracy into public spaces and help remove the stigma surrounding it.

— Catharine Kaufman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026

Definition of illiteracy

Noun

Just as Fisher was able to glean something new about David Beckham through his ignorance of the England star’s football career, Macdonald got under Guardiola’s skin by using his disinterest in the sport as a superpower.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
Officials say ignorance leads to hate crimes and a misunderstanding of Islam persists.

— Carolyn Gusoff, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of ignorance

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barbaric

barbarism

barbarity

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“Barbarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/barbarism. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of barbarism

noun

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