1. the practice of acting in a way that limits a person’s liberty or rights, ostensibly for their own good
2. a system under which an authority undertakes to supply needs or regulate conduct of those under its control in matters affecting them as individuals as well as in their relations to authority and to each other
Usage: political science; sociology

Examples

• The company’s paternalism included providing housing and healthcare for workers but also controlling their personal lives.
• Critics argued that the new safety regulations represented government paternalism.
• The colonial administration’s paternalism toward indigenous peoples was deeply problematic.
• Medical paternalism occurs when doctors make decisions for patients without their input.
• The school’s paternalism extended to monitoring students’ social media accounts.
• Many employees resented the paternalism of their well-meaning but controlling boss.