Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ferguson effect

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.85 in modern English

Syllables
fer-gu-son -ef-fect
IPA
26
Scrabble Score
14
Letters
5
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

name

The idea that increased scrutiny of police following the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, has led to an increased crime rate (or sometimes murder rate) in major US cities.

American usage

Etymology

Usage

Inflected Forms

the Ferguson effect (canonical)

Questions

What does ferguson effect mean?
The idea that increased scrutiny of police following the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, has led to an increased crime rate (or sometimes murder rate) in major US cities.
Where does ferguson effect come from?
From the name of the city of Ferguson, Missouri. The term was coined by police chief Doyle Sam Dotson III and popularized by a Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Heather Mac Donald.

How to pronounce ferguson effect

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