optimism
Americannoun
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a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.
- Synonyms:
- cheerfulness, hopefulness, confidence
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the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.
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the belief that goodness pervades reality.
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the doctrine that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds.
noun
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the tendency to expect the best and see the best in all things
-
hopefulness; confidence
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the doctrine of the ultimate triumph of good over evil
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the philosophical doctrine that this is the best of all possible worlds
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of optimism
First recorded in 1730–40; from French optimisme, from Latin optim(um) ( see optimum) + French -isme -ism
Explanation
Optimism is all about seeing the bright side of things. If you think it’s going to be a great day, even though the bills are due, you lost your wallet, and you forgot your lunch, then you're full of optimism. Optimism is expecting that the best will happen. It comes from the Latin word optimus, which means "best." Even if you don’t think the very best thing will always happen, if you're generally given to optimism, you think things will get better instead of worse. The opposite of optimism is pessimism, which is the expectation that everything will go wrong, or is wrong.
Vocabulary lists containing optimism
Words for a New Year
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Power Suffix: -ism
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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.
They will move forward with optimism having done all the preparation and research they can, but also bravely in hope that things turn out as planned.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
There is a whiff of postelection optimism about the housing market that is boosting the battered shares of home builders in an otherwise volatile stock market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Data centers are among its top customers, and optimism about the artificial-intelligence buildout had fueled Bloom’s year-to-date gains of more than 90%.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
“Walter helped inspire audiences with his optimism, humor, and adventurous spirit,” the representative said in the statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
True optimism, as Agatha Swanburne defined it, is the habit of expecting happy endings in a way that keeps one cheerfully working to make them come true.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
