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Hobbesian

American  
[hob-zee-uhn] / ˈhɒb zi ən /

noun

  1. a person who believes in or advocates the principles of Thomas Hobbes.


adjective

  1. of, relating to, or recalling the principles of Thomas Hobbes.

Etymology

Origin of Hobbesian

First recorded in 1770–80; Hobbes + -ian

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

For one thing, in our newly Hobbesian international environment, not keeping pace in the race for wealth and technology means falling prey to those who do.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 3, 2026

In Hobbesian terms, life in a Fincher film tends to be solitary and poor, nasty and brutish, if not necessarily short.

From New York Times Nov. 9, 2023

The economy described in “Grime” has devolved into a Hobbesian hellscape of ever-more-humiliating gig jobs as everyone struggles to supplement the state’s universal basic income payment.

From Washington Post Dec. 13, 2022

The Davids are justified in accusing Pinker, who scolds the rest of us for being insufficiently rational and scientific, of ignoring data contradicting his Hobbesian outlook.

From Scientific American Feb. 28, 2022

The Russian middle class is at a Hobbesian and primordial stage.

From Russian Roulette: Russia's Economy in Putin's Era by Samuel Vaknin

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