neoimperialism · noun — A contemporary form of imperialism; modern imperialistic practices by a country, such as using influence and power to dominate smaller countries. It carries an Arena rating of 1033, earned across 13 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, neoimperialism ranks #119 of 17,131 for Most Ponderous Words, #803 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #3,206 of 17,172 for Scariest Words, #5,567 of 17,188 for Words That Escaped Their Books.
neoimperialism is pronounced /ˌniː.əʊ.ɪmˈpɪə.ɹi.ə.lɪ.z(ə)m/.
Why “neoimperialism” is a great word
NEOIMPERIALISM — [Noun] The modern practice of exerting power over other nations primarily through economic, political, and cultural means rather than through direct military conquest or territorial occupation. Its etymology is a straightforward marriage: neo- (new) grafted onto imperialism. Unlike "colonialism" (which plants a flag and an administration) or "neocolonialism" (which often traces a specific, post-independence umbilical cord back to a former ruler), neoimperialism is the architecture of influence, building dependencies without blueprints of formal annexation. It is the unspoken clause in a debt-for-infrastructure deal, the global spread of a single cultural aesthetic flattening local idioms, and the quiet geopolitical alignment compelled by market access—dominance rendered in the soft currency of necessity.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From neo- (prefix meaning ‘contemporary; new’) + imperialism.
noun
- A contemporary form of imperialism; modern imperialistic practices by a country, such as using influence and power to dominate smaller countries.e.g.“[T]he Turkish Government should from now on recognize and act upon the assumption that Russian neo-imperialism is a definite threat to the safety and independence of Turkey.” — 1939 November 9 (date written), J. V. A. MacMurray, “Activities of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe, and Soviet Relations with the Belligerent Powers: III. Activities of the Soviet Union in the Balk
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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