Oblivionists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. A group of individuals who advocate for the complete erasure or cessation of certain memories or experiences
  2. Activists who promote the idea of forgetting past events to alleviate emotional suffering or trauma
  3. People who support the notion of obliterating memories as a means of achieving liberation from painful recollections

Etymology: This noun derives from a base rooted in the concept of forgetting or being forgotten. The core element comes from the word "oblivion," which itself entered English in the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century, from the Old French "oblivion," taken from Latin "oblivio," meaning "forgetfulness" or "a state of being forgotten." The Latin word is related to "oblivisci," meaning "to forget," a verb formed from the prefix "ob-" implying "over" or "against," and a root suggesting "to leave behind." The suffix "-ist," common in English, generally denotes a person who practices, is concerned with, or holds a particular belief or ideology. Attaching this suffix to "oblivion" creates a noun that implies a person associated with or advocating for oblivion—likely in a metaphorical or philosophical sense rather than literal forgetfulness. The plural form ending "-ists" marks a group or collective, so the term refers to multiple individuals who align themselves with the idea or cause of oblivion. This formation suggests a relatively modern coinage, as such abstract ideological nouns often appear in the 19th or 20th centuries, particularly within philosophical, literary, or cultural discussions. Though not commonly found in historic texts, the term could be used to describe people who embrace or promote the concept of oblivion in various contexts, such as nihilistic philosophies, movements advocating for erasure of memory or history, or even in speculative fiction exploring themes of forgetting and disappearance. In summary, this word fuses a medieval Latin-rooted concept of forgetting with a modern English agentive suffix, creating a term for those who embody or promote the state or idea of oblivion.

Synonyms: forgetters, neglecters

Antonyms: rememberers, preservers