Meanings
nounoughtism (uncountable)
- informaluncountableThe habit of doing things only because one feels that one ought to do them.
Origin
From ought + -ism, sometimes as a pun on autism.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
oughtism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oughtism
MLA
“oughtism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oughtism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “oughtism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/oughtism.
Source: oughtism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.