postfascism means A new form of fascism. It carries an Arena rating of 1323, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, postfascism ranks #1,752 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #2,657 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #3,828 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #11,238 of 17,151 for The Improbable.
Why “postfascism” is a great word
An ideology that retains core fascist tenets like authoritarianism and hyper-nationalism while adapting them to modern democratic frameworks and publicly disavowing the fascist label. From the English prefix post- (meaning "after") + fascism (from Italian fascismo, from fascio, meaning "bundle, group," and ultimately from Latin fascis, meaning "bundle of rods," an ancient Roman symbol of authority). Unlike neofascism, which explicitly seeks to revive historical regimes, or authoritarian populism, which may lack a coherent ideological lineage, postfascism operates from within the system it seeks to hollow out. It is the strongman’s rhetoric delivered in a suit and tie, the scapegoat found in bureaucratic innuendo, and the mob’s violence recast as righteous anger—a ghost that has learned to wear flesh and walk in daylight, proving the most dangerous spectres are those we no longer think to call by their true name.
Etymology
From post- + fascism.
noun
- A new form of fascism.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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