Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

shadow government

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.41 in modern English

Syllables: shad-ow -gov-ern-ment
IPA

29

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

5

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A government that is prepared to take control in response to certain events, especially one made up of the leadership of the largest opposition party in parliament which would assume control should the ruling party be displaced in elections.

noun

A (real or conspiracy theorized) body of private individuals who exercise actual power behind the scenes instead of a country's or organization's public figures.

Example Sentences

"Meronyms: shadow cabinet, shadow minister"
"Cuba's two most important exile groups, after months of quarreling, met last week to form a shadow government dedicated to the liberation of their homeland."

Etymology

The origin of such terms (e.g., shadow government, shadow cabinet, shadow minister, shadow portfolio) lies in the figurative metaphor of a shadow (shade) following its source object closely and in well-defined parallel. But conspiracy theorists have longed seized upon the way it sounds nefarious, as if it were meant to connote dark and sinister forces. This interpretation is also encouraged by disinformation purveyors seeking to sow societal disruption.

Inflected Forms

shadow governments (plural)

Phrases

shadow banking system work shadowing power behind the throne

Frequently Paired Words

shadow banking system work shadowing power behind the throne

Synonyms

cryptocracy deep state secret government invisible government state within a state

Questions

What does shadow government mean?: A government that is prepared to take control in response to certain events, especially one made up of the leadership of the largest opposition party in parliament which would assume control should the ruling party be displaced in elections.
Where does shadow government come from?: The origin of such terms (e.g., shadow government, shadow cabinet, shadow minister, shadow portfolio) lies in the figurative metaphor of a shadow (shade) following its source object closely and in well-defined parallel. But conspiracy theorists have longed seized upon the way it sounds nefarious, as if it were meant to connote dark and sinister forces. This interpretation is also encouraged by disinformation purveyors seeking to sow societal disruption.

How to pronounce shadow government

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “shadow government”.
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