Nihilismus

[ˌnihiˈlɪsmʊs]

/[ˌnihiˈlɪsmʊs]/ noun

The verdict

“Nihilismus” is uncommon German (frequency #65,538 among 26,919 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#65,538
frequency rank, German
26,919
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Weltanschauung, die die Existenz einer objektiven und sinnvollen Wirklichkeit (metaphysischer/erkenntnistheoretischer Nihilismus), die Geltung sittlicher Werte (ethischer Nihilismus), den Bestand i...

Key facts for Nihilismus
PropertyValue
HeadwordNihilismus
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˌnihiˈlɪsmʊs]
Letters10
Frequency rank#65,538
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Nihilismus” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Nihilismus lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Nihilismus is uncommon German at frequency #65,538 among 26,919 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˌnihiˈlɪsmʊs]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Weltanschauung, die die Existenz einer objektiven und sinnvollen Wirklichkeit (metaphysischer/erkenntnistheoretischer Nihilismus), die Geltung sittlicher Werte (ethischer Nihilismus), den Bestand i...".

Zero misspellings are on record for Nihilismus in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Nihilismus, spelled N-I-H-I-L-I-S-M-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Weltanschauung, die die Existenz einer objektiven und sinnvollen Wirklichkeit (metaphysischer/erkenntnistheoretischer Nihilismus), die Geltung sittlicher Werte (ethischer Nihilismus), den Bestand irgendeiner Wahrheit (logischer Nihilismus) und übernatürliche Wesen verneint

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Nihilismus"?
"Nihilismus" is spelled N-I-H-I-L-I-S-M-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˌnihiˈlɪsmʊs].
What does "Nihilismus" mean?
As a noun, "Nihilismus" means: Weltanschauung, die die Existenz einer objektiven und sinnvollen Wirklichkeit (metaphysischer/erkenntnistheoretischer Nihilismus), die Geltung sittlicher Werte (ethischer Nihilismus), den Bestand i...
How do you pronounce "Nihilismus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Nihilismus" is [ˌnihiˈlɪsmʊs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Nihilismus" come from?
"Nihilismus" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Nihilismus”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is N-I-H-I-L-I-S-M-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˌnihiˈlɪsmʊs] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list