Panglossianismn.
/panˈɡlɒsɪənɪz(ə)m/, U.S. /pænˈɡlɔsiəˌnɪz(ə)m/, /pænˈɡlɑsiəˌnɪz(ə)m/; see also Pangloss n. and adj. The belief that all occurrences or developments have a beneficial purpose or result; naive or unrealistic optimism.Sometimes used spec. in evolutionary biology (usually disparagingly) with reference to the theories of adaptationists (cf. adaptationist n. 2).
ΚΠ
1968 A. Burgess Urgent Copy v. 142 The Panglossianism of the Chancellor which, untragic, is also not tragoid.
1972 R. K. Morris & H. T. Moore Continuance & Change v. 104 Eliot's professional stoicism borders dangerously on Panglossianism.
1975 Nature 20 Mar. 221/1 Panglossianism, which can be defined as the belief that the characteristics of organisms exist to ensure the survival of species and of ecological communities.
1985 A. Rosenberg in J. H. Fetzer Sociol. & Epistemol. 161 To avoid ‘Panglossianism’ adaptationalists need only be sophisticated in what they identify as phenotypes subject to selection.
1995 Gazette (Montreal) (Nexis) 23 Jan. b3 The Premier's refusal to consider all but the best possible outcomes—his economic Panglossianism.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
n.1968- turbine dynamo
- twelvemos
- twelvenote
- twelveoared
- twelvepence
- twelvepenny
- twelvepenny piece
- twelvepentagonohedron
- twelvepint
- twelvepoint sphere
- twelvepound
- twelvepounder
- twelver
- twelverayed
- twelves
- twelveshilling
- twelvesided
- twelvest
- twelvestarred
- twelvestep
- twelvestepper
- twelvestepping
- twelvestone
- twelvestranded
- twelvethread