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Definition of optimism

optimism

/ˈɑːptɪmɪzəm/
op · ti · mism
Adverb:optimistically
•
Plural:optimisms
•
Adjective:optimistic
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optimism Lexical Profile

optimism Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Hopefulness and confidence about the future or the successful outcome of something; a tendency to look on the more favorable side of events.

Example

"Recent economic data has sparked renewed optimism among small business owners."

2

The philosophical doctrine, notably associated with Leibniz, that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds and that good will ultimately triumph over evil.

Example

"Voltaire wrote his satirical novella Candide largely to critique the philosophical optimism popular in eighteenth-century Europe."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Nearby Words

optics
optimal
optimally
optimism
optimist
optimistic
optimistically

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the mid-18th century from French 'optimisme', coined by Jesuit scholars from Latin 'optimus' ('best') to describe Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz's philosophical doctrine that we live in the best of all possible worlds.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Optimism. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/optimism
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