nihilism
noun
ni·hil·ism
ˈnī-(h)ə-ˌli-zəm 
ˈnē-
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
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
Examples of nihilism in a Sentence
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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
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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
See All Example Sentences for nihilism
Cite this Entry
“Nihilism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nihilism. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
nihilism
noun
ni·hi·lism
ˈnī-(h)ə-ˌliz-əm
ˈnē-
ˈnē-
2
: skepticism as to the value of a drug or method of treatment
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