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Bread and Circuses

What Does "Bread and Circuses" Mean?

homeidiomsBread and Circuses
"Bread and circuses" is an English idiom. It means "entertainment or offerings intended to placate or pacify discontent or distract from a problematic situation."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "bread and circuses" used in a sentence:
  • The government is merely offering bread and circuses to divert attention from the economic crisis.
  • Most reality shows are just bread and circuses to keep the masses entertained.
  • They think that by providing these superficial bread and circuses, they can avoid addressing real issues.
meaning for bread and circuses

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Bread and Circuses" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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