How Do You Spell MALTHUSIANISM?

Pronunciation: [malθjˈuːnɪzəm] (IPA)

The word "Malthusianism" is spelled with 4 syllables (mal-thoo-see-uh-niz-uhm). The IPA phonetic transcription for this word is /mælˈθuːziənɪzᵊm/. This word is derived from the name of an 18th-century economist named Thomas Malthus, who wrote about population growth and its effects on resources. Malthusianism refers to the belief that population growth can lead to resource depletion and economic collapse. The word is often used to describe policies or attitudes that seek to limit population growth in order to avoid these outcomes.

MALTHUSIANISM Meaning and Definition

1. Malthusianism refers to a socio-economic theory promulgated by Thomas Robert Malthus, an English economist and demographer, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The theory is named after Malthus, who argued that population growth would outpace the Earth's capacity to sustain it. The term "Malthusianism" can also encompass the broader ideology and policies derived from this theory.

   In essence, Malthusianism posits that human population tends to grow geometrically, while the capacity of resources to sustain it expands only arithmetically, leading to a perpetual state of population pressure and scarcity. Malthus argued that this imbalance would inevitably result in crises such as famine, disease, and social unrest. He also contended that government intervention aimed at alleviating these issues would only exacerbate the problem by encouraging population growth to escalate. Malthusian ideas have often been associated with pessimism, as they suggest that poverty and inequality are inevitable consequences of overpopulation.

   Furthermore, Malthusianism has influenced various policy discussions, including debates regarding population control, resource distribution, and environmental sustainability. Advocates of Malthusianism typically support measures such as contraception promotion, family planning, and sustainable resource management to curb population growth and ensure long-term economic stability. However, critics argue that Malthusian predictions have consistently been proven wrong throughout history due to technological advancements and the ability of societies to adapt to changing circumstances.

   Overall, Malthusianism represents a theory and ideological framework asserting that population growth will surpass available resources, leading to socio-economic crises and influencing discussions regarding population control and sustainability.

2. The doctrine that population increases in geometrical progression; and the teaching, based upon this doctrine, that overpopulation should be prevented by sexual continence or by late marriage.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for MALTHUSIANISM

• nalthusianism
• kalthusianism
• jalthusianism
• mzlthusianism
• mslthusianism
• mwlthusianism
• mqlthusianism
• makthusianism
• mapthusianism
• maothusianism
• malrhusianism
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• maltgusianism
• maltbusianism
• maltnusianism

Etymology of MALTHUSIANISM

The word "Malthusianism" is derived from the name of an English economist and demographer, Thomas Robert Malthus. Malthus lived in the late 18th and early 19th century and is best known for his influential book "An Essay on the Principle of Population", published in 1798. This work proposed the theory that population growth would outpace food production, leading to inevitable famine and hardship. Malthus argued that population growth should be checked through moral restraint, such as late marriage and abstinence, or else through natural disasters, disease, and war. Over time, the term "Malthusianism" came to refer to the beliefs or ideas associated with Malthus's theories on population growth and resource scarcity.

Similar spelling word for MALTHUSIANISM

• malthusian.