particularism
Americannoun
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exclusive attention or devotion to one's own particular interests, party, etc.
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the principle of leaving each state of a federation free to retain its laws and promote its interests.
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Theology. the doctrine that divine grace is provided only for the elect.
noun
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exclusive attachment to the interests of one group, class, sect, etc, esp at the expense of the community as a whole
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the principle of permitting each state or minority in a federation the right to further its own interests or retain its own laws, traditions, etc
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theol the doctrine that divine grace is restricted to the elect
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of particularism
From the French word particularisme, dating back to 1815–25. See particular, -ism
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As Barry Seldes’ magnificent 2009 biography reveals, Bernstein was consistently willing to build bridges between political causes many considered unbridgeable: between universalism and particularism, conflict and consensus, moderation and radicalism.
From Slate ● Dec. 13, 2021
Her sense of humor has a rooted particularism, and her comic timing is sharp.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 11, 2019
Their stories precisely anticipate the tension today’s Jewish liberals experience trying to reconcile their own pro-Israel particularism and their social-justice universalism.
From New York Times ● Apr. 11, 2019
But at this moment, right in the middle of a sentence describing her personal belief in moral particularism, Bell is stumped by something she can’t explain.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 26, 2018
For four generations the land was comparatively quiet, but the great rebellion of Owen Glendower in the reign of Henry IV. was to show how far the spirit of particularism was from extinction.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 5 English History by Various
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