conceptualism
[ kuh n-sep-choo-uh-liz-uh m ]
/ kənˈsɛp tʃu əˌlɪz əm /
noun Philosophy.
any of several doctrines existing as a compromise between realism and nominalism and regarding universals as concepts.
Compare nominalism, realism(def 5).
Origin of conceptualism
First recorded in 1830–40;
conceptual +
-ism
OTHER WORDS FROM conceptualism
con·cep·tu·al·ist, noun con·cep·tu·al·is·tic, adjective con·cep·tu·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby conceptualism
conception rate,
conceptor,
conceptual,
conceptual art,
conceptual realism,
conceptualism,
conceptualize,
conceptus,
concern,
concerned,
concerning
Example sentences from the Web for conceptualist
British Dictionary definitions for conceptualist
conceptualism
/ (kənˈsɛptjʊəˌlɪzəm) /
noun
the philosophical theory that the application of general words to a variety of objects reflects the existence of some mental entity through which the application is mediated and which constitutes the meaning of the term
Compare nominalism, realism, Platonism
the philosophical view that there is no reality independent of our conception of it, or (as in the philosophy of Kant) that the intellect is not a merely passive recipient of experience but rather imposes a structure on it