Manichaean

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See also: Manichæan

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Manichaeus +‎ -an.

Pronunciation

Noun

Manichaean (plural Manichaeans)

  1. A follower of Manichaeism.

Translations

Adjective

Manichaean (not comparable)

  1. Of or relating to Manichaeism.
    • 1995 November 25, Michael Gibson, “The Treasures of a Lost Buddhist World”, in The International Herald Tribune, →ISSN:
      Through them passed not only the traders of the Silk Route [] but also lone Buddhist monks carrying precious cargoes of scrolls in their backpacks, white-robed Manichean sages from Iran and austere Nestorian clerics who founded Christian monasteries even in remote Tibet.
  2. Of or concerning a Manichaean.
  3. (by extension) Of or relating to a worldview of distinct good and evil, especially to the exclusion of other possible categories.
    • 1988 April 11, Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, “Strategy and Tactics to Win the Global Struggle”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
      Detractors of Mr. Nixon will decry the book's [1999: Victory Without War] obsession with potency and winning [] as well as with a Manichaean view of a world that he sees as divided between the bad Soviet Union and the good United States.
    • 2008 June 8, Ana Marie Cox, “What Went Wrong | Divided She Fell”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
      Barack Obama spoke of a world without these Manichean dualities. He dismissed the notion of “red” and “blue” America.
    • 2020, Marcus Gilroy-Ware, After the Fact?, Repeater, →ISBN:
      Once again, we see a Manichean world not unlike that of conspiracists: you can be good or you can be evil.
  4. (by extension) Using dark and light to represent good and evil.

Translations