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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

Nihilism en · PROPN

Pronunciation

  • (General-American) audio
  • /ˈniː-/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [-(h)ɨ̞-] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈni.ə-/ (General-American)
  • /ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪ.lɪ.z(ə)m/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈnaɪ.əˌlɪ.z(ə)m/ (General-American)
  • /ˈnɪ-/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian нигили́зм (nigilízm).

Meanings

  1. (Russia, historical) A movement of the 1860s that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change.
    • The Government took up the word, and used nihilism to stigmatize all revolutionary, and ultra democratic and socialistic tendencies; and we have seen it play its part in the recent investigations into the attempted assassination of the Emperor. 1867, Eugene Schuyler, “Preface”, in Ivan Sergheïevitch Turgenef [i.e., Ivan Turgenev], translated by Eugene Schuyler, Fathers and Sons […], New York, N.Y.: Leypoldt and Holt, →OCLC, page vii:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
nihilism alternative lexicographic

Translations (6)

nl Nihilisme (movement that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change) · ro nihilism (movement that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change) · ru нигили́зм (movement that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change) · pl nihilizm (movement that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change) · fr nihilisme (movement that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change) · nb nihilisme (movement that rejected all authority and promoted the use of violence for political change)