nihilism
UK[ˈnaɪ.ɪ.lɪ.zəm]US[ˈnaɪ.ə.lɪ.zəm]
n
The belief that all traditional morals, ideas, beliefs, etc., have no worth or value.
n
The belief that nothing in life has any importance or value, and that therefore life is not worth living.
Morpheme Breakdown
nihil
ism
nihil
nothing
ism
doctrine, belief
Etymology
The term 'nihilism' is a modern philosophical construction, entering English in the early 19th century from German Nihilismus. The German term was itself formed from the Latin root nihil, meaning "nothing", combined with the Greek-derived suffix -ismus denoting a practice or system. The Latin nihil is a contraction of ne- (not) and hilum (a trifle, a tiny thing), thus literally meaning "not a trifle" or "nothing at all". Therefore, the word's literal construction, "the doctrine of nothing," perfectly encapsulates its abstract philosophical meaning: the rejection of all religious and moral principles as fundamentally baseless.
Analysis
Structure: nihil (nothing) + ism (doctrine, belief)
- nihil: From Latin nihil, meaning "nothing". It functions as the core root conveying the concept of negation and non-existence.
- ism: A suffix of Greek origin (via Latin -ismus), used to form nouns indicating a distinctive system, theory, or doctrine.
Examples
The novel explores themes of nihilism and despair in the modern world.
His nihilism led him to dismiss all political and social causes as pointless.
Some critics accused the artistic movement of promoting a kind of cultural nihilism.