babittry
Noun: - Babbittry refers to the attitudes, values, and behaviors typical of a narrow-minded, self-satisfied, and conformist middle-class person, especially one who is uncritically loyal to conventional business and social ideals. The term derives from the character George F. Babbitt in Sinclair Lewis's 1922 novel Babbitt, who epitomizes such traits.
- (It criticizes the smug, conformist mindset of the middle class.)
- (His narrow-minded, conventional attitudes were clear.)
"to succumb to babittry": to adopt or fall into a state of complacent, conventional middle-class thinking.
- After years of rebellion, he succumbed to babittry and joined the local chamber of commerce. (He became a conventional, self-satisfied businessman.)
"a culture of babittry": a social environment dominated by such unthinking conformity.
- The suburb was a culture of babittry, where everyone aspired to the same house, car, and lawn. (The area was marked by uniformity and lack of critical thought.)
Babbitt (n): a person who embodies babittry; a smug, conventional middle-class individual.
- He was a true Babbitt, always praising hard work and material success without questioning their value. (He was a stereotypical conformist.)
Babbittry (n): the state or quality of being a Babbitt.
- The company's babittry discouraged any innovative thinking. (The conformist mindset stifled creativity.)
- Conformism: the practice of adhering to prevailing social norms, often uncritically.
- Philistinism: a disdain for or ignorance of art and culture, combined with a focus on material wealth.
- Middle-class smugness: a self-satisfied attitude typical of a conservative middle class.
To be a Babbitt: to act as a narrow-minded, self-satisfied conformist.
- He's a Babbitt who thinks the only goal in life is to make money. (He embodies babittry.)
Babbitt-like: resembling the character Babbitt in attitudes.
- Her Babbitt-like comments about art revealed her lack of cultural awareness. (Her comments showed a philistine, conventional mindset.)