optimist

1 of 2

noun (1)

op·​ti·​mist ˈäp-tə-mist 

: a person who is inclined to be hopeful and to expect good outcomes : someone who is given to optimism

The optimists have faith that no matter how avaricious the age, literature will endure.

—Michael Norman

Optimist

2 of 2

noun (2)

Op·​ti·​mist ˈäp-tə-mist 

: a member of a major international service club

Examples of optimist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But for now, with inflation nearing the Fed’s 2% target and the job market still notching strong gains, the optimists seem to be having a moment. —Bryan Mena, CNN, 5 Oct. 2024

But the optimist thinks this is Google’s ambient computing vision coming alive. —Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 18 Sep. 2024

With the Federal Reserve now cutting interest rates to keep the economy humming, the expectation among optimists is that stocks can rise even further. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024

But optimists believe that AI is here to augment our work for the better, cutting out busywork and drudgery so that people can spend more time on ideas and creativity. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

optim(ism) + -ist entry 1, probably after French optimiste

Noun (2)

Optimist (Club)

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1759, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1911, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

optimist

noun

op·​ti·​mist

ˈäp-tə-məst

: an optimistic person