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defeatism

[ dih-fee-tiz-uhm ]
/ dɪˈfi tɪz əm /
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noun
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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Origin of defeatism

1915–20; defeat + -ism, modeled on French défaitisme
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use defeatism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for defeatism

defeatism
/ (dɪˈfiːtɪzəm) /

noun
a ready acceptance or expectation of defeat

Derived forms of defeatism

defeatist, noun, adjective
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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