negativism

American  

[neg-uh-ti-viz-uhm] / ˈnɛg ə tɪˌvɪz əm /

noun

1. a negative or pessimistic attitude.

2. Psychology. a tendency to resist external commands, suggestions, or expectations, or internal stimuli, as hunger, by doing nothing or something contrary or unrelated to the stimulus.

3. any system of negative philosophy, as agnosticism or skepticism.

---

negativism British  

/ ˈnɛɡətɪvˌɪzəm /

noun

1. a tendency to be or a state of being unconstructively critical

2. any sceptical or derisive system of thought

3. psychiatry refusal to do what is expected or suggested or the tendency to do the opposite

---

Other Word Forms

• negativist noun
• negativistic adjective
• nonnegativism noun
• nonnegativistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of negativism

First recorded in 1815–25; negative + -ism

Example Sentences

"We have run a very positive campaign because we want to get rid of all the negativism in the Netherlands over the past few years," he told AFP.

From Barron's • Oct. 29, 2025

Yet this exploration of American society is unrelieved in its negativism.

From Washington Post • Sep. 13, 2018

"I want to see some of the positive things there, come out and report on them, because there has been so much negativism about North Korea."

From BBC • Feb. 21, 2018

“A lot of the negativism just turned voters off.”

From New York Times • Nov. 19, 2015

He was slow and flaccid, with the kind of world-weary negativism you might find in employees behind the counter of a fast-food restaurant at a highway rest stop.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

Related Words

• action
• hostility
• resistance
• struggle