pessimism

From French pessimisme, from Latin pessimus (“worst”), superlative of malus (“bad”). As a doctrine, from German Pessimismus as used by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer in 1819.

pessimism (usually uncountable, plural pessimisms)

1. A general belief that bad things will happen.
2. The doctrine that this world is the worst of all possible worlds.
3. (computing) The condition of being pessimal.

• optimism

• cultural pessimism
• ecopessimism

• pessimist
• pessimistic

• pessimism in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• pessimism in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911
• pessimism at OneLook Dictionary Search

pessimism c

1. pessimism; a general belief that bad things will happen

• optimism

• pessimist
• pessimistisk