What does "pyrrhonism" mean?

The system of skeptical philosophy established by Pyrrho of Elis, centred on the idea that nothing can be known for certain; widespread skepticism, universal doubt.

What is a synonym for "pyrrhonism"?

Common synonyms include: agnosticism, apprehension, atomism, diffidence, distrust, doubt.

How do you pronounce "pyrrhonism"?

Pronounced //ˈpɪɹənɪz(ə)m//.

Pyrrhonism

//ˈpɪɹənɪz(ə)m// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1
The system of skeptical philosophy established by Pyrrho of Elis, centred on the idea that nothing can be known for certain; widespread skepticism, universal doubt. countable, uncountable
"Whosoever shall imagine a perpetuall confession of ignorance, and a judgement upright and without staggering, to what occasion soever may chance; That man conceives the true Phyrrhonisme."

Synonyms

All synonyms

agnosticism apprehension atomism diffidence distrust doubt

Example

More examples

"Whosoever shall imagine a perpetuall confession of ignorance, and a judgement upright and without staggering, to what occasion soever may chance; That man conceives the true Phyrrhonisme."

Etymology

From (the stem of) Latin Pyrrhō + -ism, after Middle French pyrrhonisme.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.