What does optimism mean?

Definitions for optimism
ˈɒp təˌmɪz əmop·ti·mism

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word optimism.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. optimismnoun

    the optimistic feeling that all is going to turn out well

  2. optimismnoun

    a general disposition to expect the best in all things

GCIDE

  1. Optimismnoun

    A habitual tendency or a present disposition to take the most hopeful view of future events, and to expect a favorable outcome even when unfavorable outcomes are possible; -- opposed to pessimism.

Wiktionary

  1. optimismnoun

    a tendency to expect the best, or at least, a favourable outcome

    I love her youth, her beauty and above all her optimism that everything will turn out fine.

  2. optimismnoun

    the doctrine that this world is the best of all possible worlds

  3. optimismnoun

    the belief that good will eventually triumph over evil

Wikipedia

  1. Optimism

    Optimism is an attitude reflecting a belief or hope that the outcome of some specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass filled with water to the halfway point: an optimist is said to see the glass as half full, while a pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The term derives from the Latin optimum, meaning "best". Being optimistic, in the typical sense of the word, is defined as expecting the best possible outcome from any given situation. This is usually referred to in psychology as dispositional optimism. It thus reflects a belief that future conditions will work out for the best. For this reason, it is seen as a trait that fosters resilience in the face of stress.Theories of optimism include dispositional models and models of explanatory style. Methods to measure optimism have been developed within both of these theoretical approaches, such as various forms of the Life Orientation Test for the original dispositional definition of optimism and the Attributional Style Questionnaire designed to test optimism in terms of explanatory style. Variation in optimism and pessimism is somewhat heritable and reflects biological trait systems to some degree. It is also influenced by environmental factors, including family environment, with some suggesting it can be learned. Optimism may also be linked to health.

ChatGPT

  1. optimism

    Optimism is a mental attitude or mindset that reflects a belief or hope that the outcome of a specific endeavor, or outcomes in general, will be positive, favorable, and desirable. It is characterized by the expectation of good outcomes or the belief that things will turn out well, even in the face of adversity or negative situations.

Wikidata

  1. Optimism

    Optimism is a mental attitude or world view that interprets situations and events as being best, meaning that in some way for factors that may not be fully comprehended, the present moment is in an optimum state. The concept is typically extended to include the attitude of hope for future conditions unfolding as optimal as well. The more broad concept of optimism is the understanding that all of nature, past, present and future, operates by laws of optimization along the lines of Hamilton's principle of optimization in the realm of physics. This understanding, although criticized by counter views such as pessimism, idealism and realism, leads to a state of mind that believes everything is as it should be, and that the future will be as well. A common idiom used to illustrate optimism versus pessimism is a glass with water at the halfway point, where the optimist is said to see the glass as half full, but the pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The word is originally derived from the Latin optimum, meaning "best." Being optimistic, in the typical sense of the word, ultimately means one expects the best possible outcome from any given situation. This is usually referred to in psychology as dispositional optimism.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Optimism

    op′ti-mizm, n. the doctrine that everything is ordered for the best: a disposition to take a hopeful view of things—opp. to Pessimism.—v.i. Op′timise, to take the most hopeful view of anything.—n. Op′timist, one who holds that everything is ordered for the best.—adj. Optimist′ic.—adv. Optimist′ically.—n. Op′timum (bot.), that point of temperature at which metabolic—i.e. vegetative and fructificative processes are best carried on. [L. optimus, best.]

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Optimism

    the doctrine or belief that in the system of things all that happens, the undesirable no less than the desirable, is for the best.

The Roycroft Dictionary

  1. optimism

    1. The instinct to lie. 2. Fatty degeneration of intelligence. 3. A philosophical system that attempts to demonstrate the existence of a pre-established Stupidity. 4. To believe that disease, dirt, earthquakes, fires, wars, politicians, blindness, and burial alive, celebrate and enhance the Glory of God. 5. To whistle while passing a cemetery in the night; to sing a hymn while having a tooth pulled; to smile while being robbed. 6. A tipple invented by Leigh Mitchell Hodges, the basis of which is clams and prune juice. 7. A kind of heart stimulant--the digitalis of failure.

The New Hacker's Dictionary

  1. optimism

    What a programmer is full of after fixing the last bug and before discovering the next last bug. Fred Brooks's book The Mythical Man-Month (See Brooks's Law) contains the following paragraph that describes this extremely well: All programmers are optimists. Perhaps this modern sorcery especially attracts those who believe in happy endings and fairy godmothers. Perhaps the hundreds of nitty frustrations drive away all but those who habitually focus on the end goal. Perhaps it is merely that computers are young, programmers are younger, and the young are always optimists. But however the selection process works, the result is indisputable: “This time it will surely run,” or “I just found the last bug.”. See also Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology.

The Foolish Dictionary, by Gideon Wurdz

  1. OPTIMISM

    A cheerful frame of mind that enables a tea-kettle to sing though in hot water up to its nose.

Editors Contribution

  1. optimism

    To feel, know and be optimistic.

    The sense of optimism is beautiful to feel.


    Submitted by MaryC on May 7, 2020  

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of optimism in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of optimism in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of optimism in a Sentence

  1. Carsten Brzeski:

    Spring fever. The German ZEW just sent more signs of increasing optimism in the euro zone's largest economy.

  2. Jeff Kaufmann:

    Tim Scott has been a leading voice for the Republican Party on the national stage. I know Northwest Iowa is excited to hear his story of opportunity and optimism for America's future. Scott certainlyknows how to work a crowd and will bring high energy to our conservative base heading into the final month of the midterms.

  3. Debasish Mridha, M.D.:

    To be a success, water your dream with optimism and love.

  4. Stefan Worrall:

    We've had a decidedly more bullish mood these last few days, with a bit of encouragement coming from oil prices, a bit of encouragement from China's trade data, and the yen is obviously playing a factor, these are all very encouraging signs that at the very minimum indicate that selling pressure has eased, and which hopefully mark some degree of more sustainable optimism. But that's hard to say for certain given how many people got caught on the wrong side of false dawns and dead cat bounces last quarter.

  5. Sean McDonald:

    Digital Public is an awkward reincarnation of Silicon Valley's blind techno-optimism, dystopically proposed three years after everyone knows better.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

optimism#10000#19197#100000

Translations for optimism

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"optimism." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/optimism>.

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