nihilism

[ nahy-uh-liz-uhm, nee- ]

noun

1. total rejection of established laws and institutions.
2. anarchy, terrorism, or other revolutionary activity.
3. total and absolute destructiveness, especially toward the world at large and including oneself:

   the power-mad nihilism that marked Hitler's last years.

4. Philosophy.
   1. an extreme form of skepticism: the denial of all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth.
   2. nothingness or nonexistence.
5. (sometimes initial capital letter) the principles of a Russian revolutionary group, active in the latter half of the 19th century, holding that existing social and political institutions must be destroyed in order to clear the way for a new state of society and employing extreme measures, including terrorism and assassination.
6. annihilation of the self, or the individual consciousness, especially as an aspect of mystical experience.

Nihilism

¹

/ ˈnaɪɪˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. (in tsarist Russia) any of several revolutionary doctrines that upheld terrorism

nihilism

²

/ ˈnaɪɪˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a complete denial of all established authority and institutions
2. philosophy an extreme form of scepticism that systematically rejects all values, belief in existence, the possibility of communication, etc
3. a revolutionary doctrine of destruction for its own sake
4. the practice or promulgation of terrorism

nihilism

1. An approach to philosophy that holds that human life is meaningless and that all religions, laws, moral codes, and political systems are thoroughly empty and false. The term is from the Latin nihil , meaning “nothing.”

Derived Forms

• ˈnihilist, nounadjective
• ˌnihilˈistic, adjective

Other Words From

• nihil·ist noun adjective
• nihil·istic adjective
• anti·nihil·ism noun
• anti·nihil·ist noun adjective
• non·nihil·ism noun
• non·nihil·ist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of nihilism¹

First recorded in 1810–20; from Latin nihil “nothing” (variant of nihilum; nil ) + -ism

Word History and Origins

Origin of nihilism¹

C19: from Latin nihil nothing + -ism , on the model of German Nihilismus

Example Sentences

The Age of Trump and his elevation back to the White House reflect a deep nihilism and despair.

From Salon

Remarkably, they persisted, and did not resign themselves to nihilism or pessimism.

From Salon

The Telegraph awarded five stars, with Neil McCormick describing it as "perversely uplifting in its nihilism and the best thing since their debut".

From BBC

Together, these characters illustrate the tension between seeking change and succumbing to nihilism, a struggle that was all too familiar to those living in the shadow of global conflict.

From Salon

This kind of ethical nihilism has been a rusty shank to the gut of consumer advocacy journalists the last few years.

From Salon

Related Words

• anarchy
• atheism
• lawlessness