nihilism

ni·hil·ism | \ ˈnī-(h)ə-ˌli-zəm

, ˈnē-

Definition of nihilism

1a : a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless Nihilism is a condition in which all ultimate values lose their value.— Ronald H. Nash

b : a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and especially of moral truths

2a : a doctrine or belief that conditions in the social organization are so bad as to make destruction desirable for its own sake independent of any constructive program or possibility

b capitalized : the program of a 19th century Russian party advocating revolutionary reform and using terrorism and assassination

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Examples of nihilism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Morgan Rainey’s blighted idealism is as central to Stone’s vision as Rheinhardt’s fluent nihilism is. — George Packer, The Atlantic, "A Novelist’s Ambition to Define America," 18 Apr. 2020 For those who prefer their crime-fiction pulp hard-boiled and harder-hitting, with sidelong glances into moral philosophy and nasty nihilism, Zahler's the guy. — Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, "What to watch on HBO while social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic," 4 Apr. 2020 Mao and Maoism, with all its nihilism and violence, found a surprising degree of international support. — Julian Gewirtz, Harper's Magazine, "To Rebel Is Justified," 30 Mar. 2020 But mainly this pontificate has failed to stand up to the forces of moral nihilism with vigor and conviction. — Nr Editors, National Review, "Letters," 5 Mar. 2020 The evil that must be fought here is nihilism, represented by the Echthroi, a word for enemy that comes from Greek versions of the Bible. — Ruth Franklin, The New York Review of Books, "L’Engle’s Cosmic Catechism," 25 Feb. 2020 In the show, Mr. Ed had a puckish sense of humor but abstained from alcohol and no longer had a streak of nihilism. — Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, "The “BoJack Horseman” Finale: A Hollywoo Reckoning," 5 Feb. 2020 But the movie, for all its retrograde politics and wham-bam machismo, can also be slick, silly fun — a giddy exercise in freewheeling nihilism, played to the hilt. — Leah Greenblatt, EW.com, "Guy Ritchie gets his gangster ya-yas out again in The Gentlemen: Review," 23 Jan. 2020 Nobody knew a thing, and nothing was correct—but utter nihilism could be staved off if enough people yelled loudly enough. — Nathaniel Friedman, The New Republic, "Moments Without Truth," 21 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nihilism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.