Standard Lemma guide

participation-washing

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

The strategy or practice by organizations (such as companies and governments) of a process of "hollow" (fake) consultation of citizens or members, despite no (or little) interest in such participation, in order to improve their public image, gather attention and sympathy by creating an illusion of openness.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Apparently coined in 2020 from participation + washing