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Glite Dictionary
nothingism

nothingism

9.9
A belief that life and the world are not real and have no purpose
  • noun
  • /ˈnʌθɪŋɪzəm/
  • Formal
translation icon : nadaísmo
  • Know Nothingism

Examples

  • It called its newspaper Tolerance, and citing Abraham Lincoln's stand against Know Nothingism, it held up the former president as its exemplar of Americanism.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The Central Verein could trace its origins to the mid-1850s, and a certain defensiveness, born of the rampant Know-Nothingism of that period, continued to mark the organization at the turn of the century.

    Academic text (2001)

  • Yet, in 1856, despite compelling reasons to the contrary, several prominent Philadelphia Germans broke ranks and did the unthinkable; they joined the Republican Party, its close ties to Know Nothingism and prohibition notwithstanding.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Many philosophers debate the implications of nothingism, arguing whether life has any inherent value or purpose.

  • His beliefs align with nothingism, leading him to view existence as meaningless and insignificant.

  • The concept of nothingism challenges traditional views on morality and the essence of life itself.

Synonyms

nihilism
vsnothingism
15 9.4

A belief that life has no meaning and people should reject rules and values

includes a more extreme claim of total nonexistence or life having no value
absurdism
vsnothingism
  • Formal
1 8.8

The belief that human life has no meaning and seeking purpose is useless

claims total nonexistence or that life has no purpose

Surface Forms

nothingism singular
nothingisms plural

Morphology

nothingism = nothing (transparent) = nothing + ism

Formed by the productive English suffix '-ism' meaning a doctrine or belief based on 'nothing', so the ideological sense is directly derived from the base.

Etymology

Nothingism is made from the simple word nothing ('not anything') and the ending -ism ('a belief' or 'a system'), like in Buddhism or optimism. So, nothingism means a belief that nothing really exists or that life has no real value.