negativism

[ neg-uh-ti-viz-uh m ]
/ ˈnɛg ə tɪˌvɪz əm /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR negativism ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a negative or pessimistic attitude.
Psychology. a tendency to resist external commands, suggestions, or expectations, or internal stimuli, as hunger, by doing nothing or something contrary or unrelated to the stimulus.
any system of negative philosophy, as agnosticism or skepticism.

Origin of negativism

First recorded in 1815–25; negative + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM negativism

neg·a·tiv·ist, noun neg·a·tiv·is·tic, adjective non·neg·a·tiv·ism, noun non·neg·a·tiv·is·tic, adjective

Words nearby negativism

negative tax, negative theology, negative transfer, negative-raising, negative-strand virus, negativism, negaton, negator, negatory, negatron, negev

Words related to negativism

action, hostility, resistance, struggle, violation, antithesis, competition, counteraction, defense, brush, clash, combat, contest, engagement, disapproval, grapple, encounter, contrariety, war, conflict

Example sentences from the Web for negativism

British Dictionary definitions for negativism

negativism
/ (ˈnɛɡətɪvˌɪzəm) /

noun

a tendency to be or a state of being unconstructively critical
any sceptical or derisive system of thought
psychiatry refusal to do what is expected or suggested or the tendency to do the opposite

Derived forms of negativism

negativist, noun, adjective negativistic, adjective

Medical definitions for negativism

negativism
[ nĕg′ə-tĭ-vĭz′əm ]

n.

A tendency to do the opposite of what one is requested to do, or to resist stubbornly for no apparent reason.

Other words from negativism

neg′a•tiv•ist n. neg′a•tiv•is′tic adj.