conceptualism
Americannoun
noun
-
the philosophical theory that the application of general words to a variety of objects reflects the existence of some mental entity through which the application is mediated and which constitutes the meaning of the term Compare nominalism realism Platonism
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the philosophical view that there is no reality independent of our conception of it, or (as in the philosophy of Kant) that the intellect is not a merely passive recipient of experience but rather imposes a structure on it
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of conceptualism
First recorded in 1830–40; conceptual + -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.
Throughout, there is a feeling of lines evaporating — between musical performance and everyday life, between conceptualism and folklore, between togetherness and solitude.
From New York Times • Aug. 7, 2020
Like Tate before it, MoMA will no longer bandy around terms such as cubism, post-impressionism, abstract expressionism, or conceptualism in its labels.
From The Guardian • Oct. 16, 2019
It was moving, and also undaunted — a dash of capitalist conceptualism hiding in plain sight.
From New York Times • Aug. 22, 2019
Plus, my Datebook has all the art openings, including a survey of Allen Ruppersberg’s pop culture-infused conceptualism.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2019
Nominalism is covered by empirical tendencies, and conceptualism by modern idealism.
From The Approach to Philosophy by Perry, Ralph Barton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
