Panglossian
adjective
Pan·gloss·ian
pan-ˈglä-sē-ən 
paŋ-,
-ˈglȯ-
: marked by the view that all is for the best in this best of possible worlds : excessively optimistic
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Dr. Pangloss was the pedantic old tutor in Voltaire's satirical novel Candide. Pangloss was an incurable, albeit misguided, optimist who claimed that "all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds." So persistent was he in his optimism that he kept it even after witnessing and experiencing great cruelty and suffering. The name "Pangloss" comes from Greek pan, meaning "all," and glossa, meaning "tongue," suggesting glibness and talkativeness.
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The real Leibniz almost always refrained from spelling out Panglossian excuses for particular evils.
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Anthony Gottlieb, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
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Anthony Gottlieb, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Panglossian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Panglossian. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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