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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of negativism

First recorded in 1815–25; negative + -ism

Example Sentences

Characteristics include feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion, increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job.

From Fox News

Not for the first time, Trump appears to be reaching for a playbook once used by Richard Nixon, whose vice-president, Spiro Agnew, once dismissed the press as “nattering nabobs of negativism”.

From The Guardian

“It’s one thing for Spiro Agnew to call everyone in the press ‘nattering nabobs of negativism,’” he said, referring to the former vice president’s famous critique of how journalists covered President Richard M. Nixon.

From New York Times

It is characterised by feelings of exhaustion, negativism or cynicism related to one's job and poor performance.

From BBC

Pitch to MPs: The other candidates are either spinning fairy tales or spreading negativism about Brexit.

From BBC

Related Words

• action
• hostility
• resistance
• struggle