Watergate definition
A series of scandals occurring during the Nixon administration in which members of the executive branch organized illegal political espionage against their perceived opponents and were charged with violation of the public trust, bribery, contempt of Congress, and attempted obstruction of justice.
noun
A gate opening onto water, or only or mainly accessible by water.
noun
The political scandal in the U.S. executive branch, involving violations of law and abuse of power, that led to the resignation of Pres. Richard M. Nixon in 1974
noun
An American political scandal (beginning with a burglary in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC in 1972) that eventually led to the resignation of US President Richard Nixon.
pronoun
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Other Word Forms
Noun
Singular:
watergate
Plural:
watergatesOrigin of watergate
- After Watergate , a building complex in Washington, DC, the site of a burglary (1972) that gave rise to the scandals
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
- From the name of the Watergate Hotel; the complex itself was named after the "Water Gate" area where symphony orchestra concerts were staged on the Potomac River between 1935 and 1965.
From Wiktionary