Weltanschauung

noun

Welt·​an·​schau·​ung ˈvelt-ˌän-ˌshau̇-əŋ 

variants or less commonly weltanschauung

plural Weltanschauungen ˈvelt-ˌän-ˌshau̇-əŋ-ən  also Weltanschauungs ˈvelt-ˌän-ˌshau̇-əŋz 

: a comprehensive conception or apprehension of the world especially from a specific standpoint : worldview

… she possesses a weltanschauung that is unremittingly positive …

—Leonore Fleischer

In my personal Weltanschauung, there is nothing wrong with arm hair, giant headphones are silly and skin-lightening products are creepy and grim.

—Victoria Coren Mitchell

"… We thought we could make things better for everyone. I shared that whole Kennedy-era Weltanschauung. …"

—Jim McBride

… British bloggers and readers are far more familiar with the American Weltanschauung. But are we also starting to write like Americans?

—Daniel Hannan

Did you know?

The German word Weltanschauung literally means "world view"; it combines Welt, meaning "world," with Anschauung, meaning "view." (You might have noticed this word’s resemblance to another German borrowing, weltschmerz, meaning “world-weariness” or “world-pain”). When English speakers first adopted Weltanschauung in the mid-19th century, it referred to a philosophical view or apprehension of the universe, and this sense is still the most widely used. It can also describe a more general ideology or philosophy of life. Note that the word is typically capitalized in English, as all nouns are in German.

Word History

Etymology

German, from Welt world + Anschauung view

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!