Brainwashing

Definitions

A form of indoctrination that forces people to abandon their beliefs in favour of another set of beliefs by conditioning through various forms of pressure or torture.

countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“So it came about, through Pavlov's work⟳, that the Soviets developed and perfected the 'brain-washing' technique seen to be so effective in the state trials of the 1930s. An amazed world witnessed the sight of intelligent and renowned figures genuinely confessing to criminal acts against the state, or voicing ideological dogma in a total reversal of their previously held values.”

“All new prisoners were assigned to "study⟳ groups" or "introductory teams" that were responsible for applying a variety of brain-washing techniques designed to break⟳ down all old beliefs and attitudes and replace⟳ them with Communist-Socialist thoughts.”

CEFR level