Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

maplewash

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: maple-wash
IPA

19

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

the misleading use of Canadian symbols, claims, or associations to exaggerate the Canadian origin, ownership, content, or character of a product, business, or service.

Canadian usage; Derogatory

verb

the idealized or selective portrayal of Canada, its institutions, or its history, especially one that obscures wrongdoing or social problems and presents Canada as morally superior to other countries.

Example Sentences

"Following a national poll, Canada’s 2025 word of the year is “maplewash,” defined as the deceptive practice of making things appear more Canadian than they actually are."
"CED prefers the more general “maplewash”."
"If there’s one thing we don’t need to maplewash, it’s the Canadian English language: it’s already a uniquely Canadian combination […]"
"In the latest SHuSH newsletter, Ken Whyte discusses one of the most cynical and blatant attempts to “Maplewash” US product as 100% home-grown Canadian."
"all made in the US—often from Canadian seeds, which they use to maplewash their branding."
"companies can use them to “Maplewash” your grocery shopping."

Etymology

From maple + -wash / ˈmā-pəl-ˌwȯsh / From the Canadian maple leaf as a national emblem. Formed on the pattern of greenwash and whitewash. The commercial sense most closely parallels greenwash; the older historical and political sense also draws upon whitewash. Earliest known attestations date from 2016; the coinage is commonly, but not conclusively, attributed to Canadian writer Luke Savage.

Word Breakdown

Suffix: maple

Usage

Inflected Forms

maplewashes (present, singular) maplewashing (participle, present) maplewashed (participle, past) maplewashed (past) maple-wash (alternative) maple wash (alternative)

Questions

What does maplewash mean?: the misleading use of Canadian symbols, claims, or associations to exaggerate the Canadian origin, ownership, content, or character of a product, business, or service.
Where does maplewash come from?: From maple + -wash / ˈmā-pəl-ˌwȯsh / From the Canadian maple leaf as a national emblem. Formed on the pattern of greenwash and whitewash. The commercial sense most closely parallels greenwash; the older historical and political sense also draws upon whitewash. Earliest known attestations date from 2016; the coinage is commonly, but not conclusively, attributed to Canadian writer Luke Savage.

How to pronounce maplewash

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