big government: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, political, journalistic
Quick answer
What does “big government” mean?
A government that is perceived as excessively large, intrusive, and involved in many aspects of citizens' lives and the economy.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A government that is perceived as excessively large, intrusive, and involved in many aspects of citizens' lives and the economy.
A political term describing extensive government intervention, regulation, and bureaucracy, often used pejoratively to criticize high taxation, welfare programs, and centralized control.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in US political discourse; UK equivalents include 'nanny state' or 'centralized government'.
Connotations
US: Strongly negative in conservative rhetoric; UK: Less charged, sometimes used in EU debates.
Frequency
Much higher frequency in American English, especially during elections and policy debates.
Grammar
How to Use “big government” in a Sentence
[adj] big governmentbig government [n][v] big governmentVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “big government” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They promise to roll back big government policies.
- The minister was accused of big-government thinking.
American English
- The candidate vowed to dismantle big government programs.
- They're big-governing healthcare with excessive regulations.
adverb
British English
- The policy was implemented big-government style.
- They governed too big-government for my taste.
American English
- They're running things big-government heavy.
- The agency acted big-government aggressively.
adjective
British English
- His big-government approach worried business leaders.
- The big-government solution proved costly.
American English
- That's typical big-government overreach.
- Their big-government agenda includes new entitlements.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Criticizing regulatory burdens: 'Big government stifles innovation with excessive compliance requirements.'
Academic
Analyzing political systems: 'The study examines correlations between big government indices and economic growth.'
Everyday
Political discussion: 'I'm voting against candidates who support big government solutions.'
Technical
Policy analysis: 'The big government metric includes public sector employment as percentage of workforce.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “big government”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “big government”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “big government”
- Using as countable noun ('big governments') – typically uncountable.
- Misspelling as 'big goverment'.
- Using in positive contexts when audience expects negative connotation.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily used pejoratively in political discourse, though some academic contexts use it neutrally to describe extensive welfare states.
'Big government' focuses on size and intrusiveness, often negative; 'strong government' emphasizes effectiveness and authority, usually positive.
Conservative and libertarian parties in the US and UK use it frequently to criticize opponents; progressive parties rarely use it except when denying the accusation.
Typically refers to federal/national government, though sometimes extended to any level of government perceived as overly bureaucratic.
A government that is perceived as excessively large, intrusive, and involved in many aspects of citizens' lives and the economy.
Big government is usually formal, political, journalistic in register.
Big government: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbɪɡ ˈɡʌvənmənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbɪɡ ˈɡʌvərnmənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “big government knows best”
- “the heavy hand of big government”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a GIANT (big) official building with countless offices (government) controlling every detail of life.
Conceptual Metaphor
GOVERNMENT IS A PARENT (often overprotective); GOVERNMENT IS A MACHINE (cumbersome, bureaucratic).
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase is most closely associated with 'big government'?