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Definition of "existentialism" [ex•is•ten•tial•ism]

  • A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one's acts. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "existentialism" in a sentence
  • "Dostoevsky once wrote: “If God did not exist, everything would be permitted”; and that, for existentialism, is the starting point."
  • "My existentialism is about always, always seeing it as one's own choice at the end of the day."
  • "and that my friends is your latest lesson in Polish existentialism"