McCarthyism
WordNet
noun
(1) Unscrupulously accusing people of disloyalty (as by saying they were Communists)
WiktionaryText
Etymology
Named for United States Senator Joseph McCarthy. Originates from a 1950 Washington Post political cartoon by Herbert Block.
Proper noun
- The intense opposition, countering, fear and/or suspicion of Communism, particularly in the United States during the 1950s.
- The mass pressure, harassment, and/or blacklisting used to pressure people to follow popular political beliefs.