Manichean

or Man·i·chae·an

[ man-i-kee-uhn ]

noun

1. Also Man·i·chee [] an adherent of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a combination of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various other elements, with a basic doctrine of a conflict between light and dark, matter being regarded as dark and evil.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Manicheans or their doctrines.

Other Words From

• Mani·chean·ism Mani·cheism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Manichean¹

1300–50; Middle English Maniche (< Late Latin Manichaeus < Late Greek Manichaîos of Manes) + -an

Example Sentences

What remains is the standard Manichean autopilot of American thought, operating in sync with the structural affinity for war that's built into the military-industrial complex.

From Salon

They say inflation is driven by a Manichean struggle between big corporations and their innocent victims, the customers.

From Washington Post

Even his defiant stance towards China has a Manichean frame: a good versus evil struggle between freedom and authoritarianism - the "great polarisation", he calls it.

From BBC

At root, the "thin blue line" narrative is a Manichean worldview that divides the world up into the good people and bad people and imagines that police are the force that separates those two.

From Salon

It has also left us precariously vulnerable to the revival of an anachronistic, Manichean Cold War narrative that risks even greater catastrophe.

From Salon