indeterminism

[ in-di-tur-muh-niz-uhm ]

/ ˌɪn dɪˈtɜr məˌnɪz əm /

Save This Word!

noun Philosophy.

the doctrine that human actions, though influenced somewhat by preexisting psychological and other conditions, are not entirely governed by them but retain a certain freedom and spontaneity.

the theory that the will is to some extent independent of the strength of motives, or may itself modify their strength in choice.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of indeterminism

First recorded in 1870–75; in-³ + determinism

OTHER WORDS FROM indeterminism

in·de·ter·min·ist, noun, adjectivein·de·ter·min·is·tic, adjective

Words nearby indeterminism

indeterminate, indeterminate equation, indeterminate sentence, indeterminate vowel, indetermination, indeterminism, index, indexation, index card, index case, index crime

How to use indeterminism in a sentence

What you call randomness or indeterminism is what we call information creation.
Top 10 questions I’d ask an alien from the Galactic Federation|Tom Siegfried|December 9, 2020|Science News
Indeterminism is the only way to break the world into good parts and into bad, and to stand by the former as against the latter.
The Letters of William James, Vol. 1|William James
Indeterminism finds more advocates nowadays than determinism.
Major Prophets of To-Day|Edwin E. Slosson
The incompatibility lies between Indeterminism and Responsibility.
Determinism or Free-Will?|Chapman Cohen

For as with the previous terms examined, it is an acceptance of Indeterminism that would rob these words of all value.
Determinism or Free-Will?|Chapman Cohen
Their indeterminism is indeed the necessary and logical accompaniment of their anti-intellectualism.
Religion and Science|John Charlton Hardwick

British Dictionary definitions for indeterminism

indeterminism

/ (ˌɪndɪˈtɜːmɪˌnɪzəm) /

noun

the philosophical doctrine that behaviour is not entirely determined by motives

Derived forms of indeterminism

indeterminist, noun, adjectiveindeterministic, 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