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nihilism

   Also found in: Medical, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.03 sec.
ni·hil·ism  (n-lzm, n-)
n.
1. Philosophy
a. An extreme form of skepticism that denies all existence.
b. A doctrine holding that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated.
2. Rejection of all distinctions in moral or religious value and a willingness to repudiate all previous theories of morality or religious belief.
3. The belief that destruction of existing political or social institutions is necessary for future improvement.
4. also Nihilism A diffuse, revolutionary movement of mid 19th-century Russia that scorned authority and tradition and believed in reason, materialism, and radical change in society and government through terrorism and assassination.
5. Psychiatry A delusion, experienced in some mental disorders, that the world or one's mind, body, or self does not exist.

[Latin nihil, nothing; see ne in Indo-European roots + -ism.]

nihil·ist n.
nihil·istic adj.
nihil·isti·cal·ly adv.

nihilism [nye-ill-liz-zum]
Noun
a total rejection of all established authority and institutions [Latin nihil nothing]
nihilist nadj
nihilistic adj

nihilism
the belief that existence is not real and that there can be no objective basis of truth, a form of extreme skepticism. Cf. ethical nihilism. — nihilist, n., adj.
See also: Philosophy
the principles of a Russian revolutionary movement in the late 19th century, advocating the destruction of government as a means to anarchy and of ten employing terrorism and assassination to assist its program. — nihilist, n., adj.nihilistic, adj.
See also: Government
total rejection of established attitudes, practices, and institutions. — nihilist, n.nihilistic, adj.
See also: Attitudes
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.nihilism - a revolutionary doctrine that advocates destruction of the social system for its own sake
doctrine, ism, philosophical system, philosophy, school of thought - a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school
2.nihilism - the delusion that things (or everything, including the self) do not exist; a sense that everything is unreal
delusion, psychotic belief - (psychology) an erroneous belief that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary
3.nihilism - complete denial of all established authority and institutions
anarchy, lawlessness - a state of lawlessness and disorder (usually resulting from a failure of government)

nihilism
Translations

nihilism [ˈnaɪɪlɪzəm] nnihilismo
nihilism [ˈnaɪɪlɪzəm] nnihilisme m
nihilism [ˈnaɪɪlɪzəm] nNihilismus m
nihilism [ˈnaɪɪlɪzəm] nnichilismo

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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
In the penultimate verse he makes known his discovery concerning the root of modern Nihilism and indifference,--i.
But there was also about him an indescribable air which no mechanic could have acquired in the practice of his handicraft however dishonestly exercised: the air common to men who live on the vices, the follies, or the baser fears of mankind; the air of moral nihilism common to keepers of gambling hells and disorderly houses; to private detectives and inquiry agents; to drink sellers and, I should say, to the sellers of invigorating electric belts and to the inventors of patent medicines.
 
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