whataboutism

[ hwuht-uh-bou-tiz-uhm, wuht‐, hwot‐, wot‐ ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a conversational tactic in which a person responds to an argument or attack by changing the subject to focus on someone else’s misconduct, implying that all criticism is invalid because no one is completely blameless:
Excusing your mistakes with whataboutism is not the same as defending your record.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of whataboutism¹

First recorded in 1975–80; from the phrase what about? + -ism ( def )

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Example Sentences

I mean, I understand your aversion to whataboutism, which strikes me has been a growing scourge because no one believes anything at all, even if there’s ample evidence.

From Freakonomics

Bothsidesism and whataboutism are thriving in our era like spiky, poisonous weeds, and if villain backstories aren’t a cause of that problem, they’re surely a symptom.

From Time

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April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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