"iron triangle" meaning in English

See iron triangle in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proper name

Head templates: {{en-proper noun}} iron triangle
  1. (historical) A key communist Chinese and North Korean concentration area and communications junction during the Korean War, located in the central sector. Tags: historical
    Sense id: en-iron_triangle-en-name-HJ9~GSR4
  2. (historical) A stronghold of the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War, located north of Saigon. Tags: historical
    Sense id: en-iron_triangle-en-name-bv3mtAuQ Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English entries with topic categories using raw markup, English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 14 57 17 12 Disambiguation of English entries with topic categories using raw markup: 14 54 17 15 Disambiguation of English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys: 16 55 14 14
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: Iron Triangle

Noun

Forms: iron triangles [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun}} iron triangle (plural iron triangles)
  1. (US politics, political science) The policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy (executive, sometimes called “government agencies”), and interest groups or lobbyists. Tags: US Categories (topical): Political science, US politics
    Sense id: en-iron_triangle-en-noun-kQrNvbqg Topics: government, political-science, politics, social-sciences
  2. (by extension) Any self-reinforcing power structure, whether intentional or accidental, formal or informal. Tags: broadly Categories (topical): Corruption
    Sense id: en-iron_triangle-en-noun-a0Znid0f Disambiguation of Corruption: 31 8 20 41
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: regulatory capture

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for iron triangle meaning in English (6.0kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "iron triangles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "iron triangle (plural iron triangles)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "regulatory capture"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Political science",
          "orig": "en:Political science",
          "parents": [
            "Politics",
            "Social sciences",
            "Society",
            "Sciences",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "US politics",
          "orig": "en:US politics",
          "parents": [
            "Politics",
            "United States",
            "Society",
            "North America",
            "All topics",
            "America",
            "Fundamental",
            "Earth",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1981, Gordon Adams, The Iron Triangle: The Politics of Defense Contracting, New York: The Council on Economic Priorities, pages 24–25",
          "text": "Over the years the defense industry has become a de facto participant in the policy-making process. As in other areas dominated by powerful corporate interests, a policy sub-government or “iron triangle” has emerged. […] The creation of an “iron triangle” takes time and active efforts of its participants. All three sides work to maintain it as economic circumstances change.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1996 December 7, Velisarios Kattoulas, International Herald Tribune, “Corruption Scandals Rack Tokyo's ‘Iron Triangle’”, in International Herald Tribune, →ISSN",
          "text": "They see the raids as evidence that the “iron triangle” of bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen that in 50 years has turned Japan into the world's second-largest economy has broken down when there is nothing to replace it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy (executive, sometimes called “government agencies”), and interest groups or lobbyists."
      ],
      "id": "en-iron_triangle-en-noun-kQrNvbqg",
      "links": [
        [
          "political science",
          "political science"
        ],
        [
          "policy",
          "policy"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ],
        [
          "congressional",
          "congressional"
        ],
        [
          "committee",
          "committee"
        ],
        [
          "bureaucracy",
          "bureaucracy"
        ],
        [
          "executive",
          "executive"
        ],
        [
          "interest group",
          "interest group"
        ],
        [
          "lobbyist",
          "lobbyist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US politics, political science) The policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy (executive, sometimes called “government agencies”), and interest groups or lobbyists."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "government",
        "political-science",
        "politics",
        "social-sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "31 8 20 41",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Corruption",
          "orig": "en:Corruption",
          "parents": [
            "Crime",
            "Politics",
            "Criminal law",
            "Society",
            "Law",
            "All topics",
            "Justice",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012 July 19, Claire Provost, “US food aid: the special interests blocking reform”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Together, agribusiness, shipping companies and NGOs form what some have called the “iron triangle” of special interests, blocking reform of the controversial in-kind system.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any self-reinforcing power structure, whether intentional or accidental, formal or informal."
      ],
      "id": "en-iron_triangle-en-noun-a0Znid0f",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) Any self-reinforcing power structure, whether intentional or accidental, formal or informal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "iron triangle"
}

{
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "iron triangle",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1951 June 12, “The Iron Triangle Falls”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
          "text": "After more than a week of hard fighting, in which American, Greek, Turkish, Filipino and Thai troops have joined in a common effort, they have demolished the “iron triangle” in the rugged hills of central Korea, which formed one of the keys of the whole Commnuist defense line north of the Thirty-eighth parallel.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A key communist Chinese and North Korean concentration area and communications junction during the Korean War, located in the central sector."
      ],
      "id": "en-iron_triangle-en-name-HJ9~GSR4",
      "links": [
        [
          "North Korean",
          "North Korean"
        ],
        [
          "Korean War",
          "Korean War"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(historical) A key communist Chinese and North Korean concentration area and communications junction during the Korean War, located in the central sector."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "14 57 17 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "14 54 17 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with topic categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 55 14 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1965 October 13, “‘Iron Triangle’ Fight Goes On”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
          "text": "American paratroopers and Australian infantrymen have killed 81 Vietcong and captured 79 in five days of light fighting in the guerrillas’ “iron triangle” jungle base about 25 miles north of Saigon, a United States military spokesman said today.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A stronghold of the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War, located north of Saigon."
      ],
      "id": "en-iron_triangle-en-name-bv3mtAuQ",
      "links": [
        [
          "stronghold",
          "stronghold"
        ],
        [
          "Viet Minh",
          "Viet Minh"
        ],
        [
          "Vietnam War",
          "Vietnam War"
        ],
        [
          "Saigon",
          "Saigon"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(historical) A stronghold of the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War, located north of Saigon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Iron Triangle"
    }
  ],
  "word": "iron triangle"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "en:Corruption"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "iron triangles",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "iron triangle (plural iron triangles)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "regulatory capture"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Political science",
        "en:US politics"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1981, Gordon Adams, The Iron Triangle: The Politics of Defense Contracting, New York: The Council on Economic Priorities, pages 24–25",
          "text": "Over the years the defense industry has become a de facto participant in the policy-making process. As in other areas dominated by powerful corporate interests, a policy sub-government or “iron triangle” has emerged. […] The creation of an “iron triangle” takes time and active efforts of its participants. All three sides work to maintain it as economic circumstances change.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1996 December 7, Velisarios Kattoulas, International Herald Tribune, “Corruption Scandals Rack Tokyo's ‘Iron Triangle’”, in International Herald Tribune, →ISSN",
          "text": "They see the raids as evidence that the “iron triangle” of bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen that in 50 years has turned Japan into the world's second-largest economy has broken down when there is nothing to replace it.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy (executive, sometimes called “government agencies”), and interest groups or lobbyists."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "political science",
          "political science"
        ],
        [
          "policy",
          "policy"
        ],
        [
          "relationship",
          "relationship"
        ],
        [
          "congressional",
          "congressional"
        ],
        [
          "committee",
          "committee"
        ],
        [
          "bureaucracy",
          "bureaucracy"
        ],
        [
          "executive",
          "executive"
        ],
        [
          "interest group",
          "interest group"
        ],
        [
          "lobbyist",
          "lobbyist"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(US politics, political science) The policy-making relationship among the congressional committees, the bureaucracy (executive, sometimes called “government agencies”), and interest groups or lobbyists."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "government",
        "political-science",
        "politics",
        "social-sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2012 July 19, Claire Provost, “US food aid: the special interests blocking reform”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Together, agribusiness, shipping companies and NGOs form what some have called the “iron triangle” of special interests, blocking reform of the controversial in-kind system.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Any self-reinforcing power structure, whether intentional or accidental, formal or informal."
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension) Any self-reinforcing power structure, whether intentional or accidental, formal or informal."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "iron triangle"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English entries with topic categories using raw markup",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "English proper nouns",
    "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "en:Corruption"
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "iron triangle",
      "name": "en-proper noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "name",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1951 June 12, “The Iron Triangle Falls”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
          "text": "After more than a week of hard fighting, in which American, Greek, Turkish, Filipino and Thai troops have joined in a common effort, they have demolished the “iron triangle” in the rugged hills of central Korea, which formed one of the keys of the whole Commnuist defense line north of the Thirty-eighth parallel.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A key communist Chinese and North Korean concentration area and communications junction during the Korean War, located in the central sector."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "North Korean",
          "North Korean"
        ],
        [
          "Korean War",
          "Korean War"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(historical) A key communist Chinese and North Korean concentration area and communications junction during the Korean War, located in the central sector."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1965 October 13, “‘Iron Triangle’ Fight Goes On”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
          "text": "American paratroopers and Australian infantrymen have killed 81 Vietcong and captured 79 in five days of light fighting in the guerrillas’ “iron triangle” jungle base about 25 miles north of Saigon, a United States military spokesman said today.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A stronghold of the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War, located north of Saigon."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "stronghold",
          "stronghold"
        ],
        [
          "Viet Minh",
          "Viet Minh"
        ],
        [
          "Vietnam War",
          "Vietnam War"
        ],
        [
          "Saigon",
          "Saigon"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(historical) A stronghold of the Viet Minh during the Vietnam War, located north of Saigon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "Iron Triangle"
    }
  ],
  "word": "iron triangle"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.