Nothingisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Philosophical doctrines asserting that nothing has real existence or lasting value, so that reality is ultimately empty
2. Belief systems that treat emptiness or non-being as the fundamental truth, denying any substance behind existence
3. Views that deny the reality or significance of anything at all, reducing the world to a void without purpose

Etymology: "Nothingisms" is simply the plural of "nothingism", a noun built from "nothing" and the suffix "-ism". The suffix comes from Greek "-ismos", through Latin "-ismus", and in English it forms nouns for doctrines, systems of belief, or characteristic practices, as in "Platonism" or "socialism". Attaching it to "nothing" therefore produces a term for a belief or doctrine centred on nothingness, the idea that nothing is real, valuable, or meaningful, or a philosophy built around the void. Because the construction is transparent, the word needs little explanation beyond its parts. Its plural reflects the usual pattern for count nouns, so the form points to more than one such doctrine or more than one instance of the attitude it names.