disfattismo

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French défaitisme. By surface analysis, disfatto (“undone”) +‎ -ismo (“-ism”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.sfatˈti.zmo/
• Rhymes: -izmo
• Hyphenation: di‧sfat‧tì‧smo

Noun

disfattismo m (plural disfattismi)

1. activity aimed at the defeat of one's own country in a time of war, especially by spreading pessimism about its chances of victory
2. (by extension) activity aimed at hindering a positive outcome; subterfuge
3. (by extension) tendency to pessimism; defeatism

Synonyms

• (tendency to pessimism): pessimismo, scetticismo, sfiducia

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “tendency to pessimism”): ottimismo, entusiasmo, fiducia

Related terms

• disfare
• disfatta
• disfattista