Dictionary

nothingness en · NOUN

Pronunciation

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Etymology

Etymology tree Old English nāþing Middle English nothyng English nothing Proto-Germanic *-in- Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *-inōną Proto-Indo-European *-dyé- Proto-Germanic *-atjaną Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Germanic *-þuz Proto-Germanic *-assuz Proto-Germanic *-inassuz Proto-West Germanic *-nassī Old English -nes Middle English -nesse English -ness English nothingness From nothing + -ness.

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) The state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing.
   • A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: / Its loveliness increases; it will never / Pass into nothingness; but still will keep / A bower quiet for us, and a sleep / Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. 1818, John Keats, “Book I”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: […] T[homas] Miller, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 3, lines 1–5:
   • In 1928 [Martin] Heidegger succeeded [Edmund] Husserl to take a chair at Freiburg and in his inaugural lecture made a pronouncement that earned him a reputation as an archetypal metaphysician with his claim that our awareness of people as a whole depends on our experience of dread in the face of nothingness. 2014 April 12, Michael Inwood, “Martin Heidegger: the philosopher who fell for Hitler [print version: Hitler's philosopher]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review), London, page R11:
2. (uncountable, usually) A void; an emptiness.
3. (uncountable, usually) The quality of inconsequentiality; the lack of significance.

Forms

Antonyms

existence (antonym(s) of)

Relateds

good-for-nothingness · do-nothingness · know-nothingness

Synonyms

nihility

Translations (47)

hu lényegtelenség (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · de Nichts (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · fi mitättömyys (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · es nihilidad (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · fr néant (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · hu jelentéktelenség (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · no ingenting (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · fi olemattomuus (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · nb intet (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · de Nichtvorhandensein (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · mk пра́зност (void; emptiness) · ru тлен (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · de Bedeutungslosigkeit (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · mk ништо́жество (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · mk пра́знина (void; emptiness) · es nihilidad (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · tr hiçlik (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · it nulla (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · pt vacuidade (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · fr vide (void; emptiness) · fi tyhjyys (void; emptiness) · mk неби́тие (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · fi merkityksettömyys (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · pt vazio (void; emptiness) · hu nem létezés (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · pl nicość (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · tr boşluk (void; emptiness) · tr şuursuzluk (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · pl nic (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · hu semmi (void; emptiness) · de Nichts (void; emptiness) · tr bilinçsizlik (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · ja 虚無 (void; emptiness) · bg нищожност (void; emptiness) · mk безна́чајност (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · hu feleslegesség (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · bg небитие (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · es nihilidad (void; emptiness) · hu semmiség (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · mk ни́штожност (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · ca no-res (state of nonexistence; the condition of being nothing) · hu üresség (void; emptiness) · pl pustka (void; emptiness) · bg нищожество (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · de Leere (void; emptiness) · tr anlamsızlık (quality of inconsequentiality; lacking in significance) · hu űr (void; emptiness)