atomism

American  

[at-uh-miz-uhm] / ˈæt əˌmɪz əm /

noun

1. Also called atomic theory.  Philosophy. the theory that minute, discrete, finite, and indivisible elements are the ultimate constituents of all matter.

2. Psychology. a method or theory that reduces all psychological phenomena to simple elements.

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atomism British  

/ ˈætəˌmɪzəm /

noun

1. an ancient philosophical theory, developed by Democritus and expounded by Lucretius, that the ultimate constituents of the universe are atoms See atom

2. 1. any of a number of theories that hold that some objects or phenomena can be explained as constructed out of a small number of distinct types of simple indivisible entities

   2. any theory that holds that an understanding of the parts is logically prior to an understanding of the whole Compare holism

3. psychol the theory that experiences and mental states are composed of elementary units

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Other Word Forms

• atomist noun
• atomistic adjective
• atomistical adjective
• atomistically adverb

Etymology

Origin of atomism

First recorded in 1670–80

Example Sentences

She begins in the 5th century B.C., when Democritus formulated his atomism, locating the ultimate nature of things in matter rather than divinity.

From Washington Post • Apr. 10, 2023

We can see this in their atomism and their religious skepticism, which hearkens back to Xenophanes.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Today, some might think that atomism and Aristotle’s teleological view have evolved into a theory of cells that resolves the acorn-oak tree identity problem.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Indian atomism provides for foundational immutable substances while going further toward accounting for change and explaining the transformation of the acorn into the oak.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

But if atomism suggested the existence of an invisible world of micro-mechanisms, it did not imply the existence of an invisible world of micro-organisms.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton