pseudoreform means supposed reform that does not bring about significant change. It carries an Arena rating of 1200, earned across 6 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, pseudoreform ranks #1,229 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #2,915 of 17,151 for The Improbable, #3,735 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #4,641 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
Why “pseudoreform” is a great word
Pseudoreform is a supposed or superficial change engineered to create the appearance of improvement while avoiding substantive alteration. From the combining form pseudo- (meaning "false" or "sham") + reform (meaning "change for the better"). Unlike a true reform, which aims at foundational correction, or mere window dressing, which is a frank cosmetic adjustment, a pseudoreform is a more sinister sleight-of-hand: a performance of change to placate demands while preserving the essential machinery of the status quo. It is the new plaque on the old, dysfunctional institution; the public consultation held after all decisions are final; the ceremonial reshuffling of titles in a stagnant bureaucracy. It is governance as a magician’s trick, misdirecting hope with the appearance of motion.
Etymology
From pseudo- + reform.
noun
- Supposed reform that does not bring about significant change.e.g.“Many reforms are actually pseudoreforms; the state prosecutes those among its own personnel guilty of wanton brutality and violence without addressing the structural roots of this type of behavior.” — 1981, Social Research, volume 48, page 154:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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