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

And there is a direct line between this nihilism and collapse in institutional trust to someone like Donald Trump getting elected not once, but twice. —Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025

Far from nihilism, the idea informed a code of personal sacrifice animating a military ethos among recent civilians now repelling Russian attacks. —C.j. Chivers Robert Fass Krish Seenivasan Steven Szczesniak, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024

Turgenev and The Big Lebowski aside, Friedrich Nietzsche is most often associated with nihilism. —Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 21 May 2025

The nihilism, or the degeneracy, is coming straight from the White House. —Nina Bambysheva, Forbes.com, 12 May 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