defeatism
English edit
Etymology edit
Borrowed from French défaitisme, coined in 1915 by Russian writer Grigorij Aleksinskij as a translation of Russian пораже́нчество (poražénčestvo), also coined by him as a derivation of порази́ть (porazítʹ, “to strike, defeat”). By surface analysis, defeat + -ism.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
defeatism (usually uncountable, plural defeatisms)
- Acceptance of defeat without struggle.
- Objective assessment is good, but defeatism will reduce our potentials even when the prospects for victory have never been nearer.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
acceptance of defeat without struggle
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