bien pensant: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low/UncommonFormal, intellectual, often critical/pejorative
Quick answer
What does “bien pensant” mean?
A person or attitude characterized by orthodox, respectable, or conventionally acceptable opinions, often implying a smug or uncritical adherence to mainstream or fashionable liberal values.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person or attitude characterized by orthodox, respectable, or conventionally acceptable opinions, often implying a smug or uncritical adherence to mainstream or fashionable liberal values.
Often used pejoratively to describe someone who espouses fashionable opinions for the sake of social approval or from intellectual conformity, rather than from genuine conviction or critical thought. Can imply a lack of intellectual courage or independent thought.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More likely to be encountered and understood in British intellectual/journalistic circles due to historical French influence. In American English, it is a highly specialised term, largely confined to literary criticism or political commentary.
Connotations
In both varieties, it is strongly pejorative. In the UK, it might be used in broader political discourse (e.g., criticising the BBC or The Guardian). In the US, it's more niche, akin to 'politically correct' but with a more intellectual, elitist connotation.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both, but marginally higher in UK English. Appears almost solely in written analysis, not in speech.
Grammar
How to Use “bien pensant” in a Sentence
[the/these/those] bien pensantsa bien-pensant [attitude/opinion/consensus]derided as bien pensantaccused of being bien pensantVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bien pensant” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The newspaper's bien-pensant editorial failed to address the practical complexities of the policy.
American English
- His critique was dismissed as heresy by the bien-pensant academic establishment.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in critical theory, political science, sociology, and literary criticism to critique dominant ideological narratives.
Everyday
Not used in everyday conversation; would be misunderstood by most.
Technical
Not a technical term, but a term of rhetorical and ideological analysis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bien pensant”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bien pensant”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bien pensant”
- Misspelling as 'bien-pensante' (though the feminine form exists in French, in English it is typically invariant).
- Using it as a compliment.
- Pronouncing it as fully anglicized 'bye-en pen-sant'.
- Confusing it with 'benevolent'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost always used pejoratively to criticise someone for holding fashionable, orthodox opinions in an uncritical or self-satisfied way.
It is not advisable, as it is an uncommon, literary term. Using it in casual conversation would likely seem pretentious or confuse your listener.
An iconoclast, a heretic, a dissident, or a maverick—someone who deliberately challenges orthodox or fashionable opinions.
Historically and most commonly, it critiques fashionable liberal or progressive orthodoxies. However, it can theoretically be applied to any dominant ideological conformity, including conservative ones, though this is rarer.
A person or attitude characterized by orthodox, respectable, or conventionally acceptable opinions, often implying a smug or uncritical adherence to mainstream or fashionable liberal values.
Bien pensant is usually formal, intellectual, often critical/pejorative in register.
Bien pensant: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbjæ̃ ˈpɒ̃.sɒ̃/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbjæn pɑnˈsɑnt/ or /ˌbjɛn pɛnˈsɑnt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[to be] the very epitome of bien-pensant opinion”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'Bien' = good, 'pensant' = thinking. The 'good-thinking people'—the ones who are so sure their fashionable opinions are morally superior.
Conceptual Metaphor
INTELLECTUAL CONFORMITY IS A FASHIONABLE DISEASE; HOLDING FASHIONABLE OPINIONS IS A SOCIAL CURRENCY.
Practice
Quiz
In which of the following publications would you most likely encounter the term 'bien pensant'?