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conceptualism

[ kuh n-sep-choo-uh-liz-uh m ]
/ kənˈsɛp tʃu əˌlɪz əm /
|

noun Philosophy.

any of several doctrines existing as a compromise between realism and nominalism and regarding universals as concepts.Compare nominalism, realism(def 5).

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Nearby words

conceptual, conceptual art, conceptual realism, conceptualisation, conceptualise, conceptualism, conceptualization, conceptualize, conceptually, conceptus, concern

Origin of conceptualism

First recorded in 1830–40; conceptual + -ism
Related formscon·cep·tu·al·ist, nouncon·cep·tu·al·is·tic, adjectivecon·cep·tu·al·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for conceptualism

British Dictionary definitions for conceptualism

conceptualism

/ (kənˈsɛptjʊəˌlɪzəm) /

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 termCompare nominalism, realism, Platonism
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
Derived Formsconceptualist, nounconceptualistic, 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