annihilationism

American  

[uh-nahy-uh-ley-shuhn-iz-uhm] / əˌnaɪ əˈleɪ ʃənˌɪz əm /

noun

Theology.

1. the teaching or belief that the souls of the wicked or unrepentant will cease to exist after death or after the Last Judgment, rather than undergo eternal torment in hell.

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Other Word Forms

• annihilationist noun

Etymology

Origin of annihilationism

First recorded in 1830–40; annihilation ( def. ) + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

He says evidence shows their policies toward "other 'racial aliens' hint toward a goal of racial annihilationism".

From BBC

Contemporary theologians generally credit Irenaeus of Lyons, a second-century bishop, as the intellectual forefather of annihilationism.

From National Geographic