optimism
/ˈɒptɪmɪzəm/ · op·ti·mism
noun
- 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.
- The doctrine that this world is the best of all possible worlds. Voltaire's satire 'Candide' critiques the optimism of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.
- The belief that good will eventually triumph over evil. The optimist's faith in humanity's capacity for kindness and compassion inspires her to volunteer at a local charity.
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Did you know? The term 'optimism' was first used in the 17th century to describe the philosophical doctrine that the world is the best of all possible worlds, as proposed by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.