nihilist

/ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪl.ɪst/

//ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪl.ɪst// noun

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

"nihilist" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“nihilist” is uncommon English (frequency #62,364 among 24,391 “N” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,364
frequency rank, English
24,391
“N” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who accepts or champions nihilism.

Key facts for nihilist
PropertyValue
Headwordnihilist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪl.ɪst/
Letters8
Frequency rank#62,364
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “nihilist” 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). nihilist 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

nihilist is uncommon English at frequency #62,364 among 24,391 “N” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪl.ɪst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

nihilist doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin nihil (“nothing”) + -ist. The correct English form is nihilist, spelled N-I-H-I-L-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who accepts or champions nihilism.
  2. 2
    An absolute skeptic; a person who believes in the truth of nothing.

Etymology

From Latin nihil (“nothing”) + -ist.

This word in other languages

nihilista(Español)nihiliste(Français)Nihilist(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 "nihilist"?
"nihilist" is spelled N-I-H-I-L-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪl.ɪst/.
What does "nihilist" mean?
As a noun, "nihilist" means: A person who accepts or champions nihilism.
How do you pronounce "nihilist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "nihilist" is /ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪl.ɪst/. 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 "nihilist"?
From Latin nihil (“nothing”) + -ist. 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 “nihilist”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is N-I-H-I-L-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈnaɪ.(h)ɪl.ɪst/ (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