phenomenalism
[ fi-nom-uh-nl-iz-uh m ]
/ fɪˈnɒm ə nlˌɪz əm /
noun Philosophy.
the doctrine that phenomena are the only objects of knowledge or the only form of reality.
the view that all things, including human beings, consist simply of the aggregate of their observable, sensory qualities.
Origin of phenomenalism
First recorded in 1860–65;
phenomenal +
-ism
OTHER WORDS FROM phenomenalism
phe·nom·e·nal·ist, noun phe·nom·e·nal·is·tic, adjective phe·nom·e·nal·is·ti·cal·ly, adverbWords nearby phenomenalism
phenolsulfonephthalein,
phenolsulfonphthalein,
phenom,
phenomena,
phenomenal,
phenomenalism,
phenomenalize,
phenomenology,
phenomenon,
phenoplast,
phenosafranine
Example sentences from the Web for phenomenalism
British Dictionary definitions for phenomenalism
phenomenalism
/ (fɪˈnɒmɪnəˌlɪzəm) /
noun
philosophy
the doctrine that statements about physical objects and the external world can be analysed in terms of possible or actual experiences, and that entities, such as physical objects, are only mental constructions out of phenomenal appearances
Compare idealism (def. 3), realism (def. 6)