A movement in philosophy that says individuals create meaning in their own lives through their choices and actions, rather than receiving a fixed meaning from outside. It often deals with themes like freedom, anxiety, and the search for purpose.
Built from *existential* (relating to existence) plus *-ism* (a system of beliefs). It grew as a label for the ideas of 19th–20th century thinkers like Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Camus about human existence and meaning.
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