disfattismo

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French défaitisme.
Surface analysis: disfatto (“undone”) +‎ -ismo (“-ism”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dis.fatˈtis.mo/, [d̪is̪fät̪ˈt̪iz̪mo]
• Hyphenation: di‧sfat‧tì‧smo

Noun

disfattismo m (plural disfattismi)

1. (in war) Activity aimed to bring about the defeat of one's own country, especially by spreading pessimism about the chances of victory.
2. (by extension) Activity aimed at hindering the positive outcome of something.
3. (by extension) Tendency to pessimism in regard to possible outcomes; defeatism

Synonyms

• (tendency to pessimism): pessimismo, scetticismo, sfiducia

Antonyms

• (tendency to pessimism): ottimismo, entusiasmo, fiducia

Related terms

• disfare
• disfatta
• disfattista