Word.ws English Dictionary

Hobbesian

UK/ˈhɒb.zi.ən/US/ˈhɑb.zi.ən/

Hobbesian adjective: of, relating to, or influenced by Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories.

Adjective

Hobbesian (comparative more Hobbesian, superlative most Hobbesian)

  1. Of, relating to, or influenced by Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories.
    • a Hobbesian theory of the state
  2. (figuratively) Involving unrestrained, selfish, and uncivilized competition.
    • a cutthroat, Hobbesian environment
    • In Hammett's writings, the social is constructed as a vast Hobbesian landscape of grim functionaries and desperate scrabblers […]1995, Fred Pfeil, White Guys: Studies in Postmodern Domination and Difference, →ISBN, page 150

Noun

Hobbesian (plural Hobbesians)

  1. A follower of the theories of Thomas Hobbes.
    • Hobbesians purport to describe social order as it is: a constant, iron-fisted effort to crush enemies and to incapacitate criminals.2019, François Bonnet, The Upper Limit: How Low-Wage Work Defines Punishment and Welfare, →ISBN, page 120
    Synonyms:
    Hobbist

Synonyms of Hobbesian

Forms of Hobbesian

Adjective
comparativemore Hobbesian
superlativemost Hobbesian
alternative formHobbian
alternative formHobbsian
Noun
pluralHobbesians

Origin of Hobbesian

From Hobbes (a surname) + -ian, referring to the 17th century English author Thomas Hobbes; whose best-known work, Leviathan, describes the state of nature in terms of unrestrained, selfish, and uncivilized competition.

Questions about Hobbesian

What does Hobbesian mean?
Hobbesian means of, relating to, or influenced by Thomas Hobbes or his philosophical theories.
What part of speech is Hobbesian?
Hobbesian can be an adjective or a noun.
How do you pronounce Hobbesian?
Hobbesian is pronounced /ˈhɒb.zi.ən/ (UK).

Words near Hobbesian in the dictionary

  1. hobber
  2. hobber-nob
  3. hobbers
  4. Hobbes
  5. Hobbeses
  6. Hobbesian
  7. Hobbesianism
  8. Hobbesians
  9. Hobbesism
  10. Hobbesist
  11. Hobbesists

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: Hobbesian (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

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