defeatism

Borrowed from French défaitisme, coined in 1915 by Russian writer Grigorij Aleksinskij as a translation of Russian пораже́нчество (poražénčestvo), also coined by him as a derivation of порази́ть (porazítʹ, “to strike, defeat”). By surface analysis, defeat +‎ -ism.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /dɪˈfiːtɪzəm/

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defeatism (usually uncountable, plural defeatisms)

1. Acceptance of defeat without struggle.

   Objective assessment is good, but defeatism will reduce our potentials even when the prospects for victory have never been nearer.

• defeatist