optimism

noun

op·ti·mism | \ˈäp-tə-ˌmi-zəm

Definition of optimism

1 : a doctrine that this world is the best possible world

2 : an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome expressed optimism about the future of the business the optimism of cheerleaders

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about optimism

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Synonyms & Antonyms for optimism

Synonyms

bullishness, sanguinity

Antonyms

bearishness, pessimism

Examples of optimism in a Sentence

Both of them expressed optimism about the future of the town. The early sales reports are cause for optimism. There is growing optimism that the problem can be corrected. He maintains a sense of optimism, despite all that has happened.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their workers also seemed to mirror the CEO’s optimism by holding higher proportions of company stock in their own retirement portfolios. — Sam Walker, WSJ, "Goodbye Swaggering CEOs; Hello Mr. Rogers," 3 Nov. 2018 There is no such optimism for Francis' Sept. 22-25 visit. — Fox News, "Russia looms in background as pope travels to Baltics," 21 Sep. 2018 Markey’s optimism, however, could be premature—the rules aren’t slated to take effect until 2020, giving corporate lobbyists plenty of time to wage aggressive campaigns to water them down. — Maya Kosoff, The Hive, "America Just Took a Step Toward Adopting Europe’s Strict Internet Privacy Laws," 29 June 2018 Findings from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement underscore Danser’s optimism. — Mark Davis, ajc, "Personal Journeys: A class by herself," 8 June 2018 Tesla’s rise is due in good part to Musk’s optimism. — Kevin Kelleher, Fortune, "6 Things We Just Learned from Tesla's Shareholder Meeting," 6 June 2018 Still, the doctor’s optimism allowed Lee to minimize the impact of the news. — Nancy Kruh, PEOPLE.com, "Jackie Lee Reveals He's Just Fought Testicular Cancer Twice: Watch the Emotional Video Inspired by His Experience," 21 May 2018 Another source of optimism is the power of the brain to adapt to new signaling inputs. — Justin Chen, STAT, "Pulses of light restored hearing in gerbils. Could that lead to higher-tech cochlear implants?," 11 July 2018 All startup founders operate from a foundation of optimism—they’re going to change the world. — Arielle Pardes, WIRED, "The Transformative Power of Reddit's Alien Mascot," 6 July 2018

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