bourbonism: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low/ObscureFormal/Historical/Specialist
Quick answer
What does “bourbonism” mean?
Excessive consumption of or devotion to bourbon whiskey.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Excessive consumption of or devotion to bourbon whiskey.
The characteristic practices, policies, or attitudes associated with conservative political factions, originally referring to the Bourbon royal family of France or the post-Civil War Southern US Democrats.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, the term is almost exclusively historical, referring to European monarchism. In American English, it is primarily a historical term for post-Reconstruction Southern conservative Democrats.
Connotations
UK: Archaic, European history. US: Historical, US political history, Southern politics, often with negative connotations of stubborn reactionary views.
Frequency
Extremely rare in modern usage in both dialects. Mostly encountered in historical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “bourbonism” in a Sentence
[political] Bourbonism [of/among X]X's BourbonismVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bourbonism” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adverb
British English
- N/A
American English
- N/A
adjective
British English
- N/A
American English
- He was a Bourbonism thinker, opposed to all change.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually unused.
Academic
Used in historical or political science contexts discussing 19th-century US or European politics.
Everyday
Extremely rare; likely misunderstood.
Technical
A technical term in political history.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “bourbonism”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “bourbonism”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bourbonism”
- Using it to mean simply 'liking bourbon whiskey' in formal writing.
- Confusing it with modern political terms like 'neoconservatism'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
While a humorous, derived meaning exists, the primary and standard meaning is political/historical, referring to a reactionary conservative stance.
No, it is an archaic historical term. Modern analogues might be 'paleoconservatism' or 'reactionary politics'.
They share the name 'Bourbon' but are largely distinct. The whiskey is named after Bourbon County, Kentucky, which itself was named after the French royal family. The political term comes directly from the royal family.
It is almost always used pejoratively by critics to describe opponents as stubbornly backward-looking and unwilling to adapt to new social or political realities.
Excessive consumption of or devotion to bourbon whiskey.
Bourbonism is usually formal/historical/specialist in register.
Bourbonism: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbʊəbənɪz(ə)m/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbɜːrbənɪzəm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “No specific idioms.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the BOURBON dynasty: stubborn kings who refused to learn from revolution. BOURBON-ism is a stubborn refusal to adapt or reform.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICAL STANCE IS A PERSON/ENTITY (the Bourbon family).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'bourbonism' most accurately used?