optimism

noun

op·​ti·​mism ˈäp-tə-ˌmi-zəm How to pronounce optimism (audio)
Synonyms of optimism
1
: a doctrine that this world is the best possible world
2
: an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome
expressed optimism about the future of the business
the optimism of cheerleaders

Synonyms of optimism

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Examples of optimism in a Sentence

Both of them expressed optimism about the future of the town. The early sales reports are cause for optimism. There is growing optimism that the problem can be corrected. He maintains a sense of optimism, despite all that has happened.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But Jarmond later worked with a search committee that included prominent UCLA figures Bob Myers, Adam Peters and Casey Wasserman on the hiring of Bob Chesney, who quickly injected hope and optimism into the football program. — Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The canal system that carries it from western Arizona is a gravity-defying product of 1960s optimism and more than $4 billion in building costs. — Alex Hager, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026 Advocates hope — with varying degrees of optimism — that the result will help close the gaping disparities in how different demographic groups perform. — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 And there's precedent for such optimism; after all, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is still going strong today, more than 36 years after its launch. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for optimism

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French optimisme, from Latin optimum "the best, optimum" + French -isme -ism

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of optimism was in 1759

Rhymes for optimism

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Browse Nearby Words

optimisation
optimism
optimist
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Cite this Entry

“Optimism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/optimism. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

optimism

noun
op·​ti·​mism ˈäp-tə-ˌmiz-əm How to pronounce optimism (audio)
: a habit of expecting everything to turn out for the best

Medical Definition

optimism

noun
op·​ti·​mism ˈäp-tə-ˌmiz-əm How to pronounce optimism (audio)
: an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome
optimist
-məst How to pronounce optimism (audio)
noun
optimistic
ˌäp-tə-ˈmis-tik How to pronounce optimism (audio)
adjective
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