comstockery
Definition
- Noun:
- Censorship based on perceived obscenity or immorality: "Comstockery" refers to the practice of suppressing or censoring literature, art, or other forms of expression deemed to be obscene or morally objectionable, often in a rigid, puritanical, or overzealous manner.
Usage
- Noun:
- The author's novel was banned due to pure comstockery, as officials deemed its themes immoral.
- Critics accused the film board's decision of being a modern form of comstockery, stifling artistic freedom.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used critically to describe actions perceived as excessively prudish or censorious.
- The campaign to remove classic books from the school library was dismissed as mere comstockery.
Variants and Related Words
- Comstockian (adj): Characteristic of or resembling comstockery; overly strict in matters of morality and censorship.
- The Comstockian laws of the era targeted even medical literature.
Synonyms
- Censorship: The suppression or prohibition of speech or writing.
- Puritanism: Strictness in moral or religious matters.
- Prudery: Excessive modesty or propriety in behavior or speech.
Word Origin and Notes
- Etymology: The term derives from Anthony Comstock (1844–1915), an American postal inspector and secretary of the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, who was notoriously zealous in enforcing anti-obscenity laws.
- Connotation: The word carries a strong negative connotation, implying that the censorship is unreasonable, outdated, or hypocritical.
Noun
-
censorship because of perceived obscenity or immorality
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