nihilism Definition
ni·hil·ism (nī′ə liz′əm, nē′-; --hi-)
noun
- Philos.
- the denial of the existence of any basis for knowledge or truth
- the general rejection of customary beliefs in morality, religion, etc.
- the belief that there is no meaning or purpose in existence
- Politics
- the doctrine that existing social, political, and economic institutions must be completely destroyed in order to make way for new institutions
- a movement in Russia (c. 1860-1917) which advocated such revolutionary reform and attempted to carry it out through the use of terrorism and assassination
- loosely any violent revolutionary movement involving the use of terrorism
nihilism Related Forms
ni′·hil·ist noun
ni′·hil·is′·tic adjective
nihilism Synonyms
nihilism
n.
Rejection
repudiation, atheism, renunciation; see denial 1, refusal.Anarchy
misrule, terrorism, lawlessness, mob rule; see disorder 2.
nihilism Usage Examples
Preposition: of
punk: He became fundamental in shaping the virulent nihilism of punk into sonic and melodic extremes that evoked everything from dub reggae to Stockhausen.
Converse of object
- call: It leads, ultimately, to what he called European nihilism.
- reject: But Leo rejects that director's nihilism in favor of some idea of redemption through words.
- embrace: The new ego can embrace nihilism in two ways.
- express: Perhaps some of the French dandies of the ancien regime could be said to express a certain nihilism in the way they lived.
- see: Keith: doesn't see any nihilism around him, but lots of passion.
- avoid: For it is the recuperation of the conventional that allows one to reject absolutism and yet avoid nihilism.
Preposition: in
way: The new ego can embrace nihilism in two ways.
Adjective modifier
- moral: Given such a powerful presumption against it, moral nihilism should be rejected.
- passive: Active Nihilism ( opposing religion ) has changed into passive Nihilism.
- intellectual: Pulling these trials together is not an exercise in intellectual nihilism.
- normal: What is the role of philosophy in an age of normal nihilism?
- modern: Nietzsche dared to look into the abyss of modern nihilism.
- such: Marxists have nothing in common with such cheap political nihilism.
Noun used with modifier
- post-modern: With the collapse of Stalinism, many intellectuals have adopted a stance of post-modern nihilism which offers no alternative to neo-liberalism.
- punk: Gigs were plenty and underground punk rock nihilism was at its frenzied height.
Browse dictionary entries near nihilism
- ‹ nihil obstat
- ‹ nihil
- ‹ NIH
- ‹ nigrosine
- ‹ nigritude
- ‹ nigrify
- ‹ nigrescent
- ‹ nighty-night
- ‹ nighty
- ‹ nightwear

