bien pensant

or bien-pen·sant

[ byen pen-sahnt; French byan pahn-sahn ]

adjective

1. blindly conventional or orthodox; having or based on beliefs that are acceptably proper or correct:

   In bien pensant circles, it has become fashionable to speak of India and China in the same breath, though these countries have little in common.

noun

1. a person who adopts conventional or orthodox beliefs without critical judgment:

   I've been called an opinionated bien pensant.

bien-pensant

/ bjɛ̃pɑ̃sɑ̃ /

adjective

1. right-thinking; orthodox

noun

1. a right-thinking person

Word History and Origins

Origin of bien pensant¹

First recorded in 1840–45; from French: literally, “well thinking,” equivalent to bien, from Latin bene “well” + pensant, present participle of penser “to think”; pensive ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of bien pensant¹

literally: well-thinking

Example Sentences

When Trump did run in 2015, most of the bien pensant refused to take him seriously.

From Washington Post

That he will get away with this, despite all the bien pensant wails and warnings, just as he got away with the Jerusalem embassy move.

From The Guardian

During the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump acolytes claimed that he was the second coming of Ronald Reagan — the similarity being that both men were elderly Republicans scorned by the bien pensant.

From Washington Post

This primary—the first Democratic one since social media has become ubiquitous—has shattered the illusion of bien pensant unity.

From Slate

Trump’s most recent outrage has left what William Finnegan referred to recently as the “bien pensant” once again searching for the most effective methods of disarming his still surging campaign.

From The New Yorker