Shibboleth (Noun)

Meaning ¹

A favorite saying of a sect or political group.

Classification

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.

Examples

• The politician's repeated use of the phrase "fairness for all" became a shibboleth for her supporters, who saw it as a rallying cry for their cause.
• The slogan "small government, big freedom" was a shibboleth for the libertarian party, symbolizing their core values.
• The phrase "people over profits" became a shibboleth for the activist group, who used it to galvanize support for their anti-corporate campaign.
• The party's shibboleth, "working for the many, not the few," was emblazoned on their campaign literature and repeated by their candidates at every opportunity.
• The environmental group's shibboleth, "think globally, act locally," was a call to action that resonated with their members and inspired grassroots activism.

Synonyms

• Catchword
• Motto
• Slogan

Hypernyms

• Expression
• Saying
• Locution

Hyponyms

• Mantra
• War Cry
• Catch Phrase
• Watchword
• Catchphrase
• Battle Cry
• Rallying Cry

Meaning ²

A manner of speaking that is distinctive of a particular group of people.

Classification

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents.

Examples

• The politician's use of colloquialisms was a shibboleth that endeared her to the working-class voters.
• The rapper's lyrics were full of hip-hop shibboleths that resonated with his urban audience.
• The engineer's technical jargon was a shibboleth that identified him as a member of the elite research team.
• The valley girl's vocal fry was a shibboleth that marked her as a member of the Southern California youth culture.
• The use of "y'all" was a shibboleth that distinguished the Texan from the rest of the out-of-town visitors.

Hypernyms

• Speech
• Delivery