chauvinism

chauvinism , word derived from the name of Nicolas Chauvin, a soldier of the First French Empire. Used first for a passionate admiration of Napoleon, it now expresses exaggerated and aggressive nationalism. As a social phenomenon, chauvinism is essentially modern, becoming marked in the era of acute national rivalries and imperialism beginning in the 19th cent. It has been encouraged by mass communication, originally by the cheap newspaper. Chauvinism exalts consciousness of nationality, spreads hatred of minorities and other nations, and is associated with militarism, imperialism, and racism. In the 1960s, the term "male chauvinist" appeared in the women's liberation movement; it is applied to males who refuse to regard females as equals.

chauvinism exaggerated or aggressive patriotism; excessive or prejudiced support or loyalty for one's own cause, group, or sex. The word dates from the late 19th century and is named after Nicolas Chauvin, a Napoleonic veteran noted for his extreme patriotism, popularized as a character by the Cogniard brothers in Cocarde Tricolore (1831).

chauvinism bellicose patriotism. XIX. — F. chauvinisme, f. name of Nicolas Chauvin, a veteran of the First Republic and Empire, noted for demonstrative patriotism, and popularized as the name of a character in ‘La Cocarde tricolore’ (1831) by the brothers Cogniard; see -ISM.