Optimists

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People characterized by their tendency to focus on the positive aspects of circumstances and anticipate good results
2. Individuals who habitually look for the bright side and remain hopeful about future events, believing in positive outcomes
3. Persons who typically anticipate positive results and view situations with hope and confidence

Etymology: The plural "optimists" is simply the plural of "optimist," which English borrowed from French "optimiste." The French word is built from Latin "optimus," meaning "best," with the suffix "-iste," which marks a person who follows or supports a doctrine or attitude. The Latin root itself is a superlative, so the core idea is "one who expects the best." The suffix does most of the work in the word's history. The "-ism" element came into French from Latin "-ismus," itself borrowed from Greek "-ismos," and attached to a root to name a belief system. Pairing it with "-iste" produced a person who holds that belief, so "optimiste" first named a follower of a philosophy of the best, before the broader sense of cheerfulness took hold.

Synonyms: hopefuls, dreamers, believers, idealists, visionaries

Antonyms: pessimists, cynics, realists, defeatists, skeptics