Causticism

/ˈkɔːstɪsɪzəm/ noun

Definition

The philosophy, practice, or tendency toward caustic speech or behavior; sharp, biting criticism as a deliberate rhetorical approach.

Etymology

From caustic plus the suffix -ism, which forms nouns describing systems of thought or practice. This is a constructed term from philosophical and rhetorical writing to describe a particular communicative style as ideology.

Kelly Says

Causticism isn't really a 'real' word in the sense that no one organized it as a movement, but philosophers and critics sometimes use it to describe a rhetorical stance that privileges cutting wit over politeness—it's worth looking for because it reveals when scholars invent terms to name unspoken value systems.

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