What does backsliding mean?
Backsliding refers to the act of reverting to a former, typically worse, condition after a period of improvement. The word is most at home in religious and moral contexts: a believer who loses their fervour or falls into old sins is said to be backsliding, and the term has deep roots in Christian preaching. Over time its use has broadened considerably. Today it also appears frequently in political and social commentary, where governments or institutions accused of backsliding are seen as abandoning earlier commitments — on human rights, democratic norms, or climate targets, for example. The word always carries disapproval; it implies that progress was real and that the reversal is regrettable, even culpable. Related forms include the verb 'to backslide' and the noun 'backslider', denoting the person who lapses. Whether describing a lapse in personal discipline or a nation's retreat from principle, backsliding vividly conveys the disappointment of watching hard-won gains slip away.
A relapse into a previous, usually worse, condition of behaviour, morals, or religious devotion; a failure to maintain a standard one had reached.
"The pastor's sermon warned against the subtle beginnings of spiritual backsliding."
In religious usage it often implies wilful turning away rather than mere weakness.
A reversal or deterioration of progress, policies, or standards, especially in public or institutional life.
"Human rights groups documented alarming backsliding across several democracies last year."
Rarely pluralised; the uncountable singular form is standard except when referring to distinct episodes of relapse.
"The memoir recounts his many backslidings over a decade of addiction."
The word 'backsliding' comes straight out of the King James Bible — Jeremiah called it the sin of Israel long before self-help books made it a byword for abandoned New Year's resolutions.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of backsliding
Backsliding derives from the verb 'backslide', formed in English from 'back' plus 'slide', with the sense of sliding backwards morally. The verb is attested from the late sixteenth century and was popularised above all by the Geneva Bible (1560) and the King James Bible (1611), which used it to translate Old Testament Hebrew terms describing Israel's unfaithfulness to God. From these scriptural uses it spread into general English, retaining much of its moral gravity while expanding into political and secular contexts.
Related word forms
How backsliding is actually used
Backsliding carries a strongly negative connotation and is especially common in religious contexts, where it describes falling away from faith or moral discipline. In secular usage it appears frequently in political commentary to describe reversals of reform. It is somewhat formal in register but widely understood.
Easily confused with backsliding
Recidivism refers specifically to reoffending after punishment or correction in a legal context, whereas backsliding more broadly covers any relapse into a former, usually worse, condition.