1. plural of paternalism; systems or practices of acting in a fatherly way toward others, especially by providing for their needs without giving them rights or responsibilities

Examples

• The company’s various paternalisms included providing housing and healthcare for workers.
• Critics argued that the government’s paternalisms undermined individual freedom.
• Different forms of paternalisms emerged in various colonial administrations.
• The professor studied paternalisms in 19th-century industrial societies.
• Modern welfare states often struggle to balance care with avoiding paternalisms.
• The organization rejected paternalisms in favor of empowering local communities.