malism

M3A1L1I1S1M3

noun

The belief that the world is inherently evil.

Opposite
bonism
OriginEnglish mal- ← Old French mal- ← Latin male →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounmalism (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe belief that the world is inherently evil.

    Jowett's optimism verges on pessimism, or, let us say, his bonism verges on malism.

    1895, Lionel Arthur Tollemache, Benjamin Jowett, Master of Balliol, page 91

    Antonyms: bonism

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe belief that the world is inherently evil.

Opposite
bonism

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*(s)mel-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*(s)molos?
  3. Proto-Italic*malos
  4. Latinmalus
  5. Latinmale
  6. Old Frenchmal-
  7. Englishmal-
  8. Englishmalism

From mal- + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

malism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malism

MLA

“malism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malism. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “malism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/malism.

Source: malism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.