defeatist

/dɪˈfiːtɪst/

//dɪˈfiːtɪst// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"defeatist" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defeatist” is uncommon English (frequency #60,006 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,006
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or relating to defeatism.

Key facts for defeatist
PropertyValue
Headworddefeatist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈfiːtɪst/
Letters9
Frequency rank#60,006
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “defeatist” sits in English 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). defeatist 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

defeatist is uncommon English at frequency #60,006 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /dɪˈfiːtɪst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Of or relating to defeatism.".

defeatist has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From defeat + -ist, after French défaitiste. The correct English form is defeatist, spelled D-E-F-E-A-T-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to defeatism.

Etymology

From defeat + -ist, after French défaitiste.

This word in other languages

défaitiste(Français)defätistisch(Deutsch)

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "defeatist"?
"defeatist" is spelled D-E-F-E-A-T-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈfiːtɪst/.
What does "defeatist" mean?
As an adjective, "defeatist" means: Of or relating to defeatism.
How do you pronounce "defeatist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defeatist" is /dɪˈfiːtɪst/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "defeatist"?
From defeat + -ist, after French défaitiste. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “defeatist”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-F-E-A-T-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈfiːtɪst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English 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