Using Humpty Dumptyism makes it impossible to have a clear conversation.
Humpty Dumptyism
idiomThe practice of insisting that a word means whatever one wishes it to.
Origin
disputed originFrom Humpty Dumpty + -ism, after the fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass, who, when asked what he means by glory, replies, "I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!'" Alice protests that this isn't the meaning of glory and Humpty Dumpty replies, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean——neither more nor less."
The politician relied on Humpty Dumptyism to redefine common terms, leaving the audience confused about his actual policy goals.
By engaging in blatant Humpty Dumptyism, the author forced his own subjective definitions onto the text, effectively stripping the original language of its established meaning.
Last updated April 17, 2026