Definition

1. Noun:
   • An advocate of anarchism: A person who believes that all forms of government and authority are undesirable and should be abolished.
   • Someone who rejects all theories of morality or religious belief: A person who believes that life has no intrinsic meaning, value, or purpose, and that traditional moral and religious principles are unfounded.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The 19th-century Russian novel featured a nihilist who plotted to overthrow the tsarist regime.
  • As a philosophical nihilist, he argued that concepts like good and evil are merely human inventions with no objective basis.

Advanced Usage

• Philosophical Nihilism: The belief that life, the universe, and all human endeavors are without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value.
  • His essays explore the bleak conclusions of nihilist thought.
• Political/Moral Nihilism: The rejection of all political and moral principles, often advocating for revolutionary destruction of existing social structures.
  • The group was labeled nihilist for its complete rejection of societal laws and ethics.

Variants and Related Words

• Nihilism (n): The doctrine or belief that denies all real existence, meaning, or value. The rejection of all religious and moral principles.
  • The character's descent into nihilism was the central theme of the story.
• Nihilistic (adj): Characteristic of or relating to nihilism.
  • The film had a deeply nihilistic worldview.

Synonyms

• Anarchist: A person who seeks to abolish all government and live in a stateless society.
• Skeptic (in a philosophical context): A person who questions the possibility of certain knowledge, especially in morality or religion.
• Cynic: A person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest, often leading to a distrust of accepted values.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• Nihilist dilemma: A reference to the philosophical problem or personal crisis arising from the belief that life has no inherent meaning.
  • Facing the nihilist dilemma, she had to choose whether to create her own purpose or succumb to despair.

Noun

1. an advocate of anarchism
2. someone who rejects all theories of morality or religious belief