Akinize

In short

To “Akinize” is to try to diminish a political foe by likening his or her words to remarks on “legitimate rape” made by former Missouri Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) while seeking a U.S. Senate seat in 2012.

As Bill Lambrecht writes: “Akinize has been used often to describe political attacks since those remarks about rape and pregnancy effectively scuttled Akin’s political ambition. Google finds Akinize 15,000 times.”

Cite this entry
MLA

Goddard, Taegan. “Akinize.” Political Dictionary, politicaldictionary.com/words/akinize/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

APA

Goddard, T. (n.d.). Akinize. In Political Dictionary. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://politicaldictionary.com/words/akinize/

Chicago

Goddard, Taegan. “Akinize.” Political Dictionary. Accessed October 13, 2026. https://politicaldictionary.com/words/akinize/.

Keep reading