existentialism
/ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪz(ə)m/
existentialism means A 20th-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices; also (generally), a philosophy which emphasizes existence over essence. It carries an Arena rating of 1429, earned across 14 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, existentialism ranks #995 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,834 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #5,076 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words, #6,573 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words.
existentialism is pronounced /ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪz(ə)m/.
Why “existentialism” is a great word
A 20th-century philosophical movement emphasizing that individuals are free and responsible agents who must create their own meaning in an indifferent universe. From German *Existentialismus* (1919), from *existential*, from Late Latin *existentialis* ("pertaining to existence"), from Latin *existentia* ("existence"), and the suffix *-ismus* ("-ism"). Unlike nihilism, which declares life inherently meaningless and often surrenders to that void, or essentialism, which insists on a fixed, inherent nature for all beings, existentialism is the defiant act of building a lighthouse on a cliff you know is eroding. It is the solitary decision to care for a plant on a windowsill, the deliberate kindness offered to a stranger on a rainy street, and the weight of choosing one path in a dark wood when no map exists—the quiet, anguished dignity of making a world where none was given.
Etymology
From existential + -ism (suffix forming the names of schools of thought, systems, or theories), modelled after German Existentialismus. The word was popularized by the French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980) in his work L’existentialisme est un humanisme (Existentialism is a Humanism, 1946).
noun
- A 20th-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices; also (generally), a philosophy which emphasizes existence over essence.e.g.“The heyday of existentialism occurred in the mid-twentieth century.”
- The philosophical views of a particular thinker associated with the existentialist movement.e.g.“Sartre’s existentialism is atheistic, but the existentialism of Marcel is distinctly Christian.”
- Synonym of structuralism (“a school of thought that focuses on exploring the individual elements of consciousness, how they are organized into more complex experiences, and how these mental phenomena correlate with physical events”).
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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