essentialism

[uh-sen-shuh-liz-uhm]

noun

1. Philosophy.,  a doctrine that the inward, or essential, nature of most things is invariable, as opposed to the properties that are accidental, phenomenal, illusory, etc.

2. Education.,  a doctrine that certain traditional concepts, ideals, and skills are essential to society and should be taught methodically to all students, regardless of individual ability, need, etc.

essentialism

/ ɪˈsɛnʃəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. philosophy one of a number of related doctrines which hold that there are necessary properties of things, that these are logically prior to the existence of the individuals which instantiate them, and that their classification depends upon their satisfaction of sets of necessary conditions

2. the doctrine that education should concentrate on teaching basic skills and encouraging intellectual self-discipline

Other Word Forms

• essentialist noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of essentialism¹

First recorded in 1935–40; essential + -ism

Example Sentences

The gender essentialism is beyond parody, where all women exist only inside the narrow parameters of a toddler’s view of Mommy.

From Salon

The problem with gender essentialism is that even a solitary divergence suggests that the “natural law” is not, in fact, a law.

From Salon

As Wong notes, Musk gets his ideas about "suicidal empathy" from Gad Saad, a Canadian marketing professor who pretends to be an expert in biology as cover for his baseless gender essentialism and racism against immigrants.

From Salon

The memes about Taylor Swift’s new rumored relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce are fun and all—but the gender essentialism is a bit much.

From Slate

The conversation around “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” runs the risk of relying on lazy stereotypes about gender essentialism and taste: men are from Mars, and women are from Venus; “Oppenheimer” is for boys, and “Barbie” is for girls.

From New York Times