Definition

1. Proper noun:
   • Joseph McCarthy: A United States politician (1908-1957) who was a U.S. Senator. He is historically significant for his role in making aggressive, unsubstantiated public accusations of communist subversion and espionage against numerous citizens and government officials during the early 1950s, a period known as McCarthyism.
   • Cormac McCarthy: A United States author (1933-2023) known for his novels, which often feature bleak, violent, and apocalyptic themes. He is celebrated for his distinctive prose style and is considered a major figure in American literature.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (Joseph McCarthy):

  • The tactics of Senator McCarthy created a climate of fear and suspicion.
  • Many careers were ruined during the McCarthy hearings.

• Proper noun (Cormac McCarthy):

  • Cormac McCarthy won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel "The Road".
  • The prose in McCarthy's "Blood Meridian" is both brutal and poetic.

Advanced Usage

• "McCarthyism": (noun) The practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence, especially related to communism. It also refers to the period of intense anti-communist suspicion in the United States during the early 1950s.
  • The term "McCarthyism" is now used more broadly to describe any reckless, unsubstantiated political witch-hunt.

Variants and Related Words

• McCarthyite (adjective): Relating to or characteristic of McCarthy or McCarthyism.
  • The committee's methods were widely criticized as McCarthyite.
• McCarthyism (noun): As defined in 'Advanced Usage'.

Synonyms

• For the era/practices associated with Joseph McCarthy: witch-hunt, red-baiting.
• For the literary style of Cormac McCarthy: (descriptive terms) stark, minimalist, gothic, southwestern.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• "Have a McCarthy moment": (informal, historical) To make a sweeping, unsubstantiated accusation against someone, often in a public setting. This phrase directly references Joseph McCarthy's style.
  • The candidate seemed to have a McCarthy moment during the debate, accusing his opponent of treason without evidence.

Noun

1. United States politician who unscrupulously accused many citizens of being Communists (1908-1957)
2. United States satirical novelist and literary critic (1912-1989)