Nietzsche

American  

[nee-chuh, -chee] / ˈni tʃə, -tʃi /

noun

1. Friedrich Wilhelm 1844–1900, German philosopher.

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Nietzsche British  

/ ˈniːtʃə, ˈniːtʃɪən /

noun

1. Friedrich Wilhelm (ˈfriːdrɪç ˈvɪlhɛlm). 1844–1900, German philosopher, poet, and critic, noted esp for his concept of the superman and his rejection of traditional Christian values. His chief works are The Birth of Tragedy (1872), Thus Spake Zarathustra (1883–91), and Beyond Good and Evil (1886)

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Other Word Forms

• Nietzschean noun
• Nietzscheism noun

Example Sentences

One of the most popular is called “Pursuing the Good Life”; this semester, readings included the Bible, Plato, Rousseau, Nietzsche and Dostoevsky, along with poetry by Sylvia Plath and music by Beethoven.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

The bookshelves were indeed filled with copies of Nietzsche, biographies of Napoleon and a volume entitled The Dictator’s Handbook.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2024

Functional adults can dismiss Ayn Rand and her petty tyrannizing over acolytes, her psychodramatic love affair with cult deputy Nathaniel Branden, and her continuing ability to inspire teenagers with a Nietzsche complex.

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2024

Shortly thereafter, Miss Teen USA stepped down with a letter that opens with a quote from Nietzsche.

From Slate • May 16, 2024

Nietzsche said that solitude makes us tougher toward ourselves and more tender toward others.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady