monism

[ mon-iz-uhm, moh-niz-uhm ]

noun
  1. Philosophy.

    • (in metaphysics) any of various theories holding that there is only one basic substance or principle as the ground of reality, or that reality consists of a single element.: Compare dualism (def. 2), pluralism (def. 1a).

    • (in epistemology) a theory that the object and datum of cognition are identical.: Compare pluralism (def. 1b).

  2. the reduction of all processes, structures, concepts, etc., to a single governing principle; the theoretical explanation of everything in terms of one principle.

  1. the conception that there is one causal factor in history; the notion of a single element as primary determinant of behavior, social action, or institutional relations.

Origin of monism

1
First recorded in 1860–65; from German Monismus; see origin at mon-, -ism

Other words from monism

  • monist, noun
  • mo·nis·tic [muh-nis-tik, moh-], /məˈnɪs tɪk, moʊ-/, mo·nis·ti·cal, adjective
  • mo·nis·ti·cal·ly, adverb
  • non·mon·ist, noun
  • non·mo·nis·tic, adjective
  • non·mo·nis·ti·cal·ly, adverb
  • un·mo·nis·tic, adjective

Words Nearby monism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use monism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for monism

monism

/ (ˈmɒnɪzəm) /


noun
  1. philosophy the doctrine that the person consists of only a single substance, or that there is no crucial difference between mental and physical events or properties: Compare dualism (def. 2) See also materialism (def. 2), idealism (def. 3)

  2. philosophy the doctrine that reality consists of an unchanging whole in which change is mere illusion: Compare pluralism (def. 5)

  1. the epistemological theory that the object and datum of consciousness are identical

  2. the attempt to explain anything in terms of one principle only

Origin of monism

1
C19: from Greek monos single + -ism

Derived forms of monism

  • monist, noun, adjective
  • monistic, adjective
  • monistically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for monism

monism

[ (moh-niz-uhm, mon-iz-uhm) ]


A position in metaphysics that sees only one kind of principle whereas dualism sees two. On the question of whether people's minds are distinct from their bodies, for example, a monist would hold either that mental conditions are essentially physical conditions (materialism), or that bodies depend on minds for their existence (idealism).

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.