quixotism

[ kwik-suh-tiz-uhm ]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) quixotic character or practice.
2. a quixotic idea or act.

Word History and Origins

Origin of quixotism¹

1660–70; ( Don ) Quixote + -ism

Example Sentences

Not a lot has changed, and the measure of Gilliam’s ingenuity is his ability to suggest that Quixotism is a universal, transhistorical condition.

From New York Times

I found Quixotism in the world at times irritating, and at times cruel, and instead I saw the heroism of Don Quixote’s friends and neighbors, the “normal” people.

From New York Times

Pencil-sharpeners and paper-pushers, they lacked “the generous wildness of Quixotism.”

From Salon

Over the years, belief in the brontosaurus became a badge of melancholy quixotism.

From The New Yorker

Over the years, belief in the brontosaurus became a badge of melancholy quixotism.

From The New Yorker