: a feeling or belief that good things will happen in the future : a feeling or belief that what you hope for will happen
Both of them expressed optimism about the future of the town.
The early sales reports are cause/reason/grounds for optimism.
Most of us reacted to the news with cautious/guarded optimism. [=a feeling that something good may happen but will not definitely happen]
There is growing optimism that the problem can be corrected.
He maintains a sense of optimism, despite all that has happened.
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“Optimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/optimism. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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