babbittry

Definition

Narrow-minded materialism.

Etymology

From Babbitt + -ry, after the character in Sinclair Lewis' novel Babbitt.

Example Sentences

• "For most of this century, writers on the left have portrayed small cities as stifling enclaves of Babbittry and reaction, but today they are seen as refreshing oases from commercialized mass society—potential centers of community and local activism."