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optimism [optimism 词源字典]: optimism: [18] Etymologically as well as semantically, optimism means hoping for ‘the best’. It was coined in French (as optimisme) in 1737 as a term for the doctrine of the German philosopher Leibnitz (1646–1716) that the world is as good as it could possibly be. It was based on Latin optimum (source also of English optimum [19]), the neuter case of optimus ‘best’. This may have been formed from the preposition ob ‘in front of’ and a superlative suffix.
[optimism etymology, optimism origin, 英语词源]
optimism (n.): 1759 (in translations of Voltaire), from French optimisme (1737), from Modern Latin optimum, used by Gottfried Leibniz (in "Théodicée," 1710) to mean "the greatest good," from Latin optimus "the best" (see optimum). The doctrine holds that the actual world is the "best of all possible worlds," in which the creator accomplishes the most good at the cost of the least evil.
En termes de l'art, il l'appelle la raison du meilleur ou plus savamment encore, et Theologiquement autant que Géométriquement, le systême de l'Optimum, ou l'Optimisme. [Mémoires de Trévoux, Feb. 1737]
Launched out of philosophical jargon and into currency by Voltaire's satire on it in "Candide." General sense of "belief that good ultimately will prevail in the world" first attested 1841 in Emerson; meaning "tendency to take a hopeful view of things" first recorded 1819 in Shelley.
optimist (n.): 1759, from French optimiste (1752); see optimism + -ist.
optimistic (adj.): 1845, from optimist + -ic. Related: Optimistical (1809); optimistically.
optimization (n.): 1857, noun of action from optimize.
optimize (v.): 1844, "to act as an optimist," back-formation from optimist. Meaning "to make the most of" is first recorded 1857. Related: Optimized; optimizing.
Soroptimist: international society of business women and women executives, first club formed 1921 in Oakland, Calif., U.S., from stem of sorority + optimist, probably after the Optimist Club.
suboptimization: "The optimizing of an individual part or department within an organization, rather than the organization as a whole; an instance of this", 1950s; earliest use found in The American Economic Review. From sub- + optimization.