ˈbrainwashing orig. U.S.
[f. brain n. + washing vbl. n. i. fig.]
The systematic and often forcible elimination from a person's mind of all established ideas, esp. political ones, so that another set of ideas may take their place; this process regarded as the kind of coercive conversion practised by certain totalitarian states on political dissidents. Also attrib. and transf. Hence, by back-formation, brainwash v. trans., to practise brainwashing on; brainwashed ppl. a.; brainwasher, one who practises it.
| 1950 E. Hunter in New Leader 7 Oct. 7/2 ‘Brain-reform’ is the objective, popularly referred to as ‘brain-washing’. 1952 Times 26 May 41/1 Ai Tze-chi was Red China's chief indoctrinator or, as he was generally called, Brainwasher No 1. 1953 Manch. Guardian Weekly 21 May 15 You refer to brainwashing. You feel..that you have been brow⁓beaten? 1953 Sat. Even. Post 31 Oct. 10/1 The anticommunist soldiers..may be blackmailed or brain-washed or third-degreed. 1955 Times 10 June 7/4 Snake-charmers..have so far failed in their attempts to brain-wash the serpents. 1955 Harper's Mag. July 16 On this subject—and others—the Texans have brain-washed themselves so thoroughly [etc.]. 1955 Times 31 Aug. 8/5 Realistic ‘brain⁓washing’ procedures for those who are ‘captured’. 1957 D. J. Enright Apothecary's Shop 225 (title) The Brain-Washed Muse. Some Second Thoughts on Tradition. 1968 M. Woodhouse Rock Baby viii. 83 There was something attractive, in an off-beat, screwy sort of way, about the idea of psycho-analysing a brain-washed robot. |