paternalismnoun [ U ]
uk/pəˈtɜː.nə.lɪ.zəm/us/pəˈtɝː.nə.lɪ.zəm/usually disapprovingthinking or behaviour by people in authority that results in them making decisions for other people that, although they may be to those people's advantage, prevent them from taking responsibility for their own lives
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Controlling and being in charge
- aggrandize
- assume
- assumption
- authoritative
- balance of power
- divide
- dominant
- have sb by the balls idiom
- have sb eating out of your hand idiom
- have sb in the palm of your hand idiom
- have sth in hand idiom
- have/hold the whip hand idiom
- heel
- hook
- pull
- pull rank idiom
- pull the strings idiom
- putty
- regimentation
- rein
See more results »
paternalist
noun [ C ] uk/pəˈtɜː.nə.lɪst/us/pəˈtɝː.nə.lɪst/
paternalistic
adjective uk/pəˌtɜː.nəˈlɪs.tɪk/us/pəˌtɝː.nəˈlɪs.tɪk/