dialectical materialism

American  

noun

1. a form of materialism, developed chiefly by Karl Marx, noted especially for the application of the Hegelian dialectic in its philosophy of history.

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dialectical materialism British  

noun

1. the economic, political, and philosophical system of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels that combines traditional materialism and Hegelian dialectic

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Other Word Forms

• dialectical materialist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dialectical materialism

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

The unfolding of actual events in a way contrary to Marx’s predictions led Marxists and others to doubt the reliability of Marx’s system of dialectical materialism.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

John Maynard Keynes, who outflanked the left's dialectical materialism by spreading capitalist materialism, noted decades ago that the economic opportunity and equality he'd promoted couldn't free the human heart from evil, perhaps especially in prosperity.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2019

The autobiography has little to say about dialectical materialism, social fascism, or the Popular Front.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 22, 2016

He was born in communist Yugoslavia in 1949, and received a thorough grounding in Marxism and the principles of "dialectical materialism".

From The Guardian • Jun. 27, 2012

A friend once asked me how I could reconcile my creed of African nationalism with a belief in dialectical materialism.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela