Doublespeak Examples
This is a list of about fifty doublespeak examples. For each doublespeak you'll find a definition, example sentences, notes and a quick quiz question.administrative detention
imprisonment without charge or a trial
austerity
cuts in government spending on public programs and services
black operation
a secret government or military operation
collateral damage
deaths and injuries of innocent people in military operations
comfort women
women and girls forced into sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War Two
contribution
a political donation or "bribe"
correctional facility
a prison or jail
creative accounting
accounting methods used by unethical companies to cheat the tax department, shareholders, employees, etc.
detainee
a person imprisoned without charge or a trial
detention centre
any place in which people are imprisoned without charge or a trial
disappear
to murder a political or human rights activist
doublespeak
deceptive language, or words and phrases that hide the truth
downsize
to reduce staff numbers by firing people
economical with the truth
to be telling a lie
engage
to attack or fight enemy forces
enhanced interrogation
torture
ethnic cleansing
genocide
extraordinary rendition
illegal abduction, transport, imprisonment and torture of suspects in secret locations
family values
religious beliefs that cause prejudice against gay people, single mothers, unmarried couples, divorced people, etc.
forced labour
modern-day slavery
friendly fire
bullets or bombs from one's own side that kill or injure one's own people
honour killing
the murder of one family member by another after a social taboo has been broken
human trafficking
the slave trade
incarcerated
imprisoned
incident
terrorist attack, bombing, mass murder, suicide, etc.
job seeker
a person who can't find work
lost
killed while fighting in a war
made redundant
to be fired from your job
misconduct
a euphemism for crimes committed by professionals, business people, corrupt officials, the police and the military
neutralize
to kill a person
occupied
invaded and controlled by enemy forces
pacify
to violently suppress protesters or rioters
pre-emptive attack
a surprise attack before declaring war or invading a country
re-educate
to force someone to change their beliefs or political views
redundancies
job losses
regime change
forced change of government after a foreign military invasion
runoff
liquid waste from a factory, mine, farm, etc.
settlement
a town built on land taken by force or occupied by invaders
settlers
people who build homes and towns on other people's land
surgical strike
a bomb or missile attack that's supposed to accurately strike its target
terminate
to fire somebody from their job
terminate with extreme prejudice
to murder, assassinate or execute a person on the orders of a government official
undocumented alien
a foreigner without a visa or work permit
untruth
a lie
unusual wealth
money from corruption
wetwork
murders ordered by a government agency