The practice or habit of flattering excessively, especially for personal gain or advantage.
From gnathonic plus the suffix -ism, which creates nouns representing practices, doctrines, or behaviors; ultimately rooted in the Greek flatterer Gnathonicus.
Gnathonism became so associated with insincere flattery that 'gnathonism' was used by philosophers and scholars to describe the problem of false politeness corrupting genuine society!
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