optimism

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“
The reason for the optimism was the return of almost our entire defense including what was touted as the best secondary in school history.

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Definitions (10)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A tendency to expect the best possible outcome or dwell on the most hopeful aspects of a situation: "There is a touch of optimism in every worry about one's own moral cleanliness” (Victoria Ocampo).
  2. noun Philosophy The doctrine, asserted by Leibniz, that this world is the best of all possible worlds.
  3. noun Philosophy The belief that the universe is improving and that good will ultimately triumph over evil.

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Examples (50)

  • The budget defense adds up to a lot of optimism -- optimism that it won't strangle growth to raise taxes on those earning more than $250,000 shortly after a recession, optimism that the economy will return to robust growth, optimism that the alternative would be worse, optimism that the government can curtail its own spending, and optimism that the debt load is manageable. —  Forbes.com: News
  • But the motivation for this optimism is as understandable as it is self-serving. —  US Market Commentary from Seeking Alpha
  • This optimism is a welcome bright spot in a time of increasing global economic uncertainty and rising climate crisis. —  MarketingShift: Daily Crash Course in Marketing Technology & Brand Management
  • The new regime may offer some long-term optimism, as do the futures of players like Paul Maholm, but a deluge of setbacks-from the combined 5.90 —  Baseball Prospectus
  • The first number to spur the optimism was the big 22. 2\% jump in new housing starts from January to February. —  The Guardian World News
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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. French optimisme, from New Latin optimum, the greatest good; see optimum.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from French optimisme = Spanish Portuguese optimismo = Italian ottimismo = German optimismus, from New Latin optimismus, from Latin optimus, optumus, very good, best: see optimum.
 

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/ˈɑptɪmɪzm/
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