zabernism

Z10A1B3E1R1N1I1S1M3

noun

The misuse or abuse of military authority; bullying.

Scrabble 22
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Meanings

nounzabernism (uncountable)
  1. obsoleteuncountableThe misuse or abuse of military authority; bullying.

Origin

From the German name for Saverne, a town in Alsace. Originated from an incident in 1913 involving an overzealous soldier who wounded a cobbler for laughing at him, ultimately triggering an intervention from the army who took over the power from local authorities.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

zabernism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zabernism

MLA

“zabernism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zabernism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “zabernism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/zabernism.

Source: zabernism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.