defeatism

American  

[dih-fee-tiz-uhm] / dɪˈfi tɪz əm /

noun

1. the attitude, policy, or conduct of a person who admits, expects, or no longer resists defeat, as because of a conviction that further struggle or effort is futile; pessimistic resignation.

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defeatism British  

/ dɪˈfiːtɪzəm /

noun

1. a ready acceptance or expectation of defeat

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Other Word Forms

• defeatist noun

Etymology

Origin of defeatism

1915–20; defeat + -ism, modeled on French défaitisme

Example Sentences

So is defeatism, as well as seat-of-the-pants policymaking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

It may be tempting to slide into defeatism.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

And he slammed cadres who for "too long been accustomed to defeatism, irresponsibility and passiveness".

From Barron's • Jan. 20, 2026

“I think there’s a lot of negative polarization at play — an expression of defeatism or disenfranchisement at the fact that status quo politicians aren’t addressing young men’s problems.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2025

The discovery that we are, as one investigator phrased it, living in a “sea of carcinogens” is of course dismaying and may easily lead to reactions of despair and defeatism.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Related Words

• capitulation
• resignation