promortalism means A philosophical belief that holds that it is better for a being to die rather than continue living. It carries an Arena rating of 1284, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, promortalism ranks #201 of 17,131 for Scariest Words, #1,349 of 17,124 for Most Sublime Words, #2,216 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #2,889 of 17,151 for The Improbable.
Why “promortalism” is a great word
PROMORTALISM — [Noun] A philosophical position advocating that it is preferable for a sentient being to cease existing rather than to continue living. From the English prefix pro- ("in favor of") + mortal (from Latin mortalis, "subject to death") + the suffix -ism (denoting a system or doctrine). Unlike antinatalism (which specifically opposes the commencement of life) or pessimism (which is a descriptive gloom), promortalism is a prescriptive terminus, a logical remedy for the condition of sentience. It is the deep relief of a fever breaking, the final silence of an abandoned engine cooling in the rain, the quiet warmth of a body surrendering to profound hypothermia—the conviction that non-being is the only genuine mercy.
Etymology
From pro- + mortal + -ism.
noun
- A philosophical belief that holds that it is better for a being to die rather than continue living.e.g.“ISD analysts don’t believe promortalism has been a primary motivator of violence in previous cases it’s been linked to, she adds.” — 2025 May 21, Manisha Krishnan, “IVF Clinic Bombing Suspect Was Linked to ‘Anti-Life’ Ideology. Experts Fear Its Growing Influence”, in WIRED, archived from the original on 21 May 2025:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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