nihilism

noun

ni·​hil·​ism ˈnī-(h)ə-ˌli-zəm  ˈnē- 

1

a

: 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

2

a

: 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

nihilist

ˈnī-(h)ə-list 

ˈnē-

noun or adjective

nihilistic

ˌnī-(h)ə-ˈli-stik 

ˌnē-

adjective

Examples of nihilism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That book, about a middle-aged landowner whose son returns from college infected with the ideology of nihilism, was published in 1862, a century before Grade wrote his Jewish variation on the theme. —Adam Kirsch, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025

Fascism fascination for gamers Juvenile nihilism is Bong Joon-ho’s stock-in-trade. —Armond White, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025

This haphazard nihilism is symptomatic of Musk’s approach with the de-facto Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE): destroy first, ask questions later. —Stephen Collinson, CNN, 1 Mar. 2025

For example the basic story of the crossing—the redemption through survival, the redemption for what purpose, the nihilism. —Joan Didion, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

German Nihilismus, from Latin nihil nothing — more at nil

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for nihilism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism
• americanism

Medical Definition

nihilism

noun

ni·​hi·​lism ˈnī-(h)ə-ˌliz-əm  ˈnē- 

1

: nihilistic delusion

2

: skepticism as to the value of a drug or method of treatment

nihilistic

ˌnī-(h)ə-ˈlis-tik, ˌnē- 

adjective