existentialism
noun
ex·is·ten·tial·ism
ˌeg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shə-ˌli-zəm 
ˌek-(ˌ)si-
: a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad
Examples of existentialism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
On the other end comes lair Said’s ‘Most People Die on Sundays,’ opening up a unique to its generation guidebook that reveals all there is to know about the highs and lows of millennial existentialism, delivered through sincere yet unprecedented humour.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
Their film tries to move beyond the haunting existentialism of good and evil to consider less glamorous, but still urgent themes of interplanetary dependence and sisterhood.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2023
Russian Doll — which Lyonne also created, produced, wrote, and occasionally directed — finds a perfect blend of sci-fi existentialism and sharp comedy thanks to her no-nonsense performance.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2023
Bringing the iconic Mattel doll and her all-pink world to life, the film explores themes of girlhood, existentialism, feminism and toxic masculinity.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Ready for another trip to Barbie Land (with a splash of existentialism)?
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2023
The historical novels that make up most of his oeuvre favor the Enlightenment and its ideas, but there are also currents of mid-twentieth-century surrealism and existentialism, Afro-Caribbean legend, Hollywoodesque epic, and Victorian maximalism.
—Natasha Wimmer, The New York Review of Books, 1 Feb. 2024
Movies do existentialism really well, because a glance, a gesture, a mood can often reveal so much that words can’t.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2024
And more of us, especially Gen Zers, are becoming disillusioned as climate change fuels a sense of existentialism.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 16 Apr. 2024
Their film tries to move beyond the haunting existentialism of good and evil to consider less glamorous, but still urgent themes of interplanetary dependence and sisterhood.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2023
Russian Doll — which Lyonne also created, produced, wrote, and occasionally directed — finds a perfect blend of sci-fi existentialism and sharp comedy thanks to her no-nonsense performance.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 6 Apr. 2023
Bringing the iconic Mattel doll and her all-pink world to life, the film explores themes of girlhood, existentialism, feminism and toxic masculinity.
—Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Ready for another trip to Barbie Land (with a splash of existentialism)?
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 24 Aug. 2023
The historical novels that make up most of his oeuvre favor the Enlightenment and its ideas, but there are also currents of mid-twentieth-century surrealism and existentialism, Afro-Caribbean legend, Hollywoodesque epic, and Victorian maximalism.
—Natasha Wimmer, The New York Review of Books, 1 Feb. 2024
Movies do existentialism really well, because a glance, a gesture, a mood can often reveal so much that words can’t.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Jan. 2024
And more of us, especially Gen Zers, are becoming disillusioned as climate change fuels a sense of existentialism.
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'existentialism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Existentialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/existentialism. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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