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• nihilism
  nihilism

  noun

  total rejection of established laws and institutions.
• Nihilism
  Nihilism

  noun

  (in tsarist Russia) any of several revolutionary doctrines that upheld terrorism

nihilism

American  

[nahy-uh-liz-uhm, nee-] / ˈnaɪ əˌlɪz əm, ˈni- /

noun

1. total rejection of established laws and institutions.

2. anarchy, terrorism, or other revolutionary activity.

3. total and absolute destructiveness, especially toward the world at large and including oneself.

   the power-mad nihilism that marked Hitler's last years.

4. Philosophy.

   1. an extreme form of skepticism: the denial of all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth.

   2. nothingness or nonexistence.

5. (sometimes initial capital letter) the principles of a Russian revolutionary group, active in the latter half of the 19th century, holding that existing social and political institutions must be destroyed in order to clear the way for a new state of society and employing extreme measures, including terrorism and assassination.

6. annihilation of the self, or the individual consciousness, especially as an aspect of mystical experience.

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Nihilism ¹ British  

/ ˈnaɪɪˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. (in tsarist Russia) any of several revolutionary doctrines that upheld terrorism

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nihilism ² British  

/ ˈnaɪɪˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a complete denial of all established authority and institutions

2. philosophy an extreme form of scepticism that systematically rejects all values, belief in existence, the possibility of communication, etc

3. a revolutionary doctrine of destruction for its own sake

4. the practice or promulgation of terrorism

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nihilism Cultural  

1. An approach to philosophy that holds that human life is meaningless and that all religions, laws, moral codes, and political systems are thoroughly empty and false. The term is from the Latin nihil, meaning “nothing.”

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Other Word Forms

• antinihilism
  noun
• antinihilist
  noun
• nihilist
  noun
• nonnihilism
  noun
• nonnihilist
  noun
• nihilistic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of nihilism

First recorded in 1810–20; from Latin nihil “nothing” (variant of nihilum; see nil) + -ism

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Explanation

If you're one of those people who believe there's nothing worth believing in, your doctrine is nihilism. In philosophy, nihilism is the complete rejection of moral values and religious beliefs. It is such a negative outlook that it denies any meaning or purpose in life. In political theory, nihilism is carried to an even greater extreme, arguing for the destruction of all existing political and social institutions. The term nihilism was borrowed from German Nihilismus, since the doctrine was developed by the German philosopher Friedrich Jacobi. The German word is formed from Latin nihil, "nothing" plus the suffix –ismus, "a doctrine or theory."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nihilism Nihilism

Research suggests that feelings of financial nihilism — when people believe that traditional financial planning is pointless because long-term stability is out of reach — are especially common among younger Americans.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

The naive can-do-ism of “Parks and Recreation” was millennial, but so was the go-nowhere nihilism of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

From Salon ● Aug. 30, 2026

Drinks offer a clear bridge between the desire to buy a little treat and to not spend too much in one go, the perfect recession-fueled nihilism salve.

From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026

“Slap the City” clatters and coos with R&B falsetto and at least makes the blank nihilism of Drake’s dating life feel self-aware.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026

Instead of pushing him away, my nihilism is only making him more comfortable.

From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon

Nihilism was the mood, or at least my mood.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 1, 2019

I hope that Medical Nihilism is widely read and discussed, and that it helps bring about reforms in medical practice, research and communication, reforms we desperately need.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 14, 2019

Nihilism can leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but Webster is such fun to bite into, an invitation to revel in people at their very worst, to taste depravity.

From New York Times ● Apr. 1, 2019

Nihilism suggests that one finds pleasure, resistance and art meaningless, so as not to grow attached to the trappings of an illusory world.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 19, 2017

The decision to name his son Bahram Bahrami must have sprung from the same well of Teutonic Nihilism that led Stephen Kellner to choose Grover as my middle name.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

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Related Words

• anarchy
• atheism
• lawlessness

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