Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Any
language deliberately constructed todisguise ordistort its actual meaning, often by employingeuphemism orambiguity . Typically used bygovernments or largeinstitutions .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun any language that pretends to communicate but actually does not
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Orwell coined the term doublespeak to describe one kind of propaganda practiced by the state in Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Nineteen Eighty-Four 2002
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Well, for a lady who thinks she can accuse the CIA of lying to her and not expect repercussions, I guess this sort of misguided doublespeak is par for the course. dreamer
Pelosi: There will be public option in House health care bill 2009
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But then doublespeak is the lingua franca of the fight game – not that Chisora is complaining about a deal that could deliver not just one Klitschko but both of them.
Dereck Chisora delighted with three-fight deal for Klitschkos' titles Kevin Mitchell 2010
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Obama's slavish conformity to pro-choice doublespeak is especially relentless.
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On the blogs and elsewhere, it is being played out as if this is more evidence of Hillary engaging in doublespeak, or flip-flopping, or whatever, and, quite frankly, it is bullshit.
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The word doublespeak was coined in the early 1950's after George Orwell's book, 1984, was published in the late 1940's.
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The word doublespeak grew out of this post-1984 culture and is just as timely today.
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The doublespeak is needed because of the contradiction between the Bush Administration's concept of freedom and democracy and the actual principles and requirements of freedom and democracy.
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The doublespeak is needed because of the contradiction between the Bush Administration's concept of freedom and democracy and the actual principles and requirements of freedom and democracy.
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The concept was later refined as "doublespeak" -- which is simply the notion that if you say something often enough, you can convince normal people that something is its opposite.
kewpid commented on the word doublespeak
A portmanteau of doublethink and newspeak.
October 2, 2007
uselessness commented on the word doublespeak
Long live George Orwell. :-)
October 2, 2007