existentialism

/ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪzəm/

//ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪzəm// noun

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

"existentialism" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“existentialism” has 21 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,612. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,612
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords
21
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A 20th-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices.

Corpus desk

Index EN-existentialism · existentialism · English

existentialism · rank #47,612 · 21 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,612
  • LEN-MEGA 14 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 21 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exterminator

Nearest frequency peer: exterminator (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “existentialism”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “existentialism” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for existentialism
PropertyValue
Headwordexistentialism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪzəm/
Letters14
Frequency rank#47,612
Misspellings tracked21
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “existentialism”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “exterminator” (#47,613), “evocation” (#47,610), “extinguishing” (#47,614). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “existentialism” is #47,612. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 21 spelling variants around existentialism (IPA /ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪzəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,612 among 2,246 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 21 likely wrong-spelling variants for existentialism, with forms such as "eixstentialism", "exisetntialism", and "exisstentialism". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French existentialisme. The correct English form is existentialism, spelled E-X-I-S-T-E-N-T-I-A-L-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A 20th-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices.
  2. 2
    The philosophical views of a particular thinker associated with the existentialist movement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how existentialism appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The heyday of existentialism occurred in the mid-twentieth century.
  2. Sartre's existentialism is atheistic, but the existentialism of Marcel is distinctly Christian.

Etymology

Borrowed from French existentialisme.

Antonyms

noumenalism

This word in other languages

existencialismo(Español)existentialisme(Français)Existentialismus(Deutsch)existencialismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • eixstentialism
  • exisetntialism
  • exisstentialism
  • existenitalism
  • existenntialism
  • existentailism
  • existentiailsm
  • existentialims
  • existentialismm
  • existentialissm
  • existentiallism
  • existentialsim
  • existentilaism
  • existenttialism
  • existetnialism
  • existnetialism
  • existtentialism
  • exitsentialism
  • exsitentialism
  • exxistentialism
  • xeistentialism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of existentialism - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eixstentialism2exisetntialism2exisstentialism1existenitalism2existenntialism1existentailism2existentiailsm2existentialims2
Edit distance from "existentialism"

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 "existentialism"?
"existentialism" is spelled E-X-I-S-T-E-N-T-I-A-L-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪzəm/.
What does "existentialism" mean?
As a noun, "existentialism" means: A 20th-century philosophical movement emphasizing the uniqueness of each human existence in freely making its self-defining choices.
What are common misspellings of "existentialism"?
Common misspellings include "eixstentialism", "exisetntialism", "exisstentialism", "existenitalism", "existenntialism". The correct spelling is "existentialism".
How do you pronounce "existentialism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "existentialism" is /ˌɛɡzɪˈstɛnʃəlɪzəm/. 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 "existentialism"?
Borrowed from French existentialisme. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "existentialism", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nontraditional#47,228hallucinogenic#47,084counterculture#48,161detoxification#48,184

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (21 here; floor ≥5).

stratospheric21 variantsinflorescence21 variantsastrophysical21 variantsprioritization21 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list