What does chauvinism mean?
Chauvinism refers to an unreasoning, excessive devotion to a group, cause, or country, typically accompanied by contempt or hostility toward those outside it. The word most often describes two related phenomena: bellicose, exaggerated patriotism (national or cultural chauvinism), and, in contemporary usage influenced by feminism, prejudiced attitudes of men toward women ('male chauvinism'). It is invariably pejorative — no one describes themselves as a chauvinist — and it carries a stronger implication of blindness and irrationality than mere pride or loyalty. A person exhibiting chauvinism assumes the inherent superiority of their own kind and dismisses or disparages others. The term derives from Nicolas Chauvin, a legendarily zealous veteran of Napoleon's armies whose name became a French byword for absurd patriotic fervor before entering English in the nineteenth century. Related forms include chauvinist (noun/adjective) and chauvinistic (adjective).
nounExcessive, aggressive patriotism or blind enthusiasm for one's own country or group; more broadly, prejudiced and unreasoning devotion to any cause, especially when expressed as hostility toward outsiders. In modern usage it frequently denotes male prejudice against women.
- Undue partiality or attachment to a group or place to which one belongs, especially manifested as hostility toward outsiders — e.g., national, ethnic, or cultural chauvinism.
- Aggressive or exaggerated patriotism; jingoistic devotion to one's country.
- (In modern usage) Male prejudice and condescension toward women; belief in female inferiority.
"His chauvinism blinded him to the genuine achievements of neighboring countries."
"The editorial condemned the cultural chauvinism that dismissed foreign films as inferior."
"Her promotion was delayed for years by the entrenched male chauvinism of upper management."
Rarely used in the plural; 'chauvinism' is normally treated as an uncountable mass noun denoting an attitude.
"Historians have catalogued the various chauvinisms that fueled the conflict."
The word comes from Nicolas Chauvin, a possibly fictional French soldier so devoted to Napoleon that his name became a byword for absurd, over-the-top loyalty.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chauvinism
Chauvinism derives from the name of Nicolas Chauvin, a legendary (and possibly apocryphal) French soldier renowned for his fanatical devotion to Napoleon Bonaparte. His name entered French as a byword for exaggerated patriotism in the early nineteenth century, popularized in part by theatrical caricatures such as the Cogniard brothers' 1831 play 'La Cocarde Tricolore.' English borrowed the word later in the nineteenth century, initially in the sense of jingoistic nationalism, and its meaning broadened in the twentieth century to cover prejudiced devotion to any group, most prominently male prejudice against women.
Related word forms
How chauvinism is actually used
The word is formal to neutral in register and always carries a negative connotation. Since the mid-20th century, especially in feminist discourse, 'chauvinism' alone often implies sexism (via 'male chauvinism'); context usually makes clear whether national, cultural, or gender-based prejudice is meant.
Easily confused with chauvinism
Chauvinistic is the adjective form describing someone who displays chauvinism, whereas chauvinism is the noun naming the attitude itself.
Jingoism refers specifically to belligerent, warlike nationalism, while chauvinism can apply to any group loyalty, including gender-based prejudice.