intellectualism
[ in-tl-ek-choo-uh-liz-uhm ]
/ ˌɪn tlˈɛk tʃu əˌlɪz əm /
noun
devotion to intellectual pursuits.
the exercise of the intellect.
excessive emphasis on abstract or intellectual matters, especially with a lack of proper consideration for emotions.
Philosophy.
- the doctrine that knowledge is wholly or chiefly derived from pure reason.
- the belief that reason is the final principle of reality.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of intellectualism
First recorded in 1820–30; intellectual + -ism
OTHER WORDS FROM intellectualism
Words nearby intellectualism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for intellectualism
British Dictionary definitions for intellectualism
intellectualism
/ (ˌɪntɪˈlɛktʃʊəˌlɪzəm) /
noun
development and exercise of the intellect
the placing of excessive value on the intellect, esp with disregard for the emotions
philosophy
- the doctrine that reason is the ultimate criterion of knowledge
- the doctrine that deliberate action is consequent on a process of conscious or subconscious reasoning
Derived forms of intellectualism
intellectualist, noun, adjectiveintellectualistic, adjectiveintellectualistically, adverbCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012