relativism

[ rel-uh-tuh-viz-uhm ]

nounPhilosophy.
  1. any theory holding that criteria of judgment are relative, varying with individuals and their environments.

Origin of relativism

1
First recorded in 1860–65; relative + -ism

Words Nearby relativism

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How to use relativism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for relativism

relativism

/ (ˈrɛlətɪˌvɪzəm) /


noun
  1. any theory holding that truth or moral or aesthetic value, etc, is not universal or absolute but may differ between individuals or cultures: See also historicism

Derived forms of relativism

  • relativist, noun, adjective

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 relativism

relativism

The doctrine that no ideas or beliefs are universally true but that all are, instead, “relative” — that is, their validity depends on the circumstances in which they are applied.

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.