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phenomenalism

[ fi-nom-uh-nl-iz-uhm ]
/ fɪˈnɒm ə nlˌɪz əm /

noun Philosophy.

the doctrine that phenomena are the only objects of knowledge or the only form of reality.
the view that all things, including human beings, consist simply of the aggregate of their observable, sensory qualities.

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Origin of phenomenalism

First recorded in 1860–65; phenomenal + -ism

OTHER WORDS FROM phenomenalism

phe·nom·e·nal·ist, nounphe·nom·e·nal·is·tic, adjectivephe·nom·e·nal·is·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Words nearby phenomenalism

phenolsulfonephthalein, phenolsulfonphthalein, phenom, phenomena, phenomenal, phenomenalism, phenomenalize, phenomenology, phenomenon, phenoplast, phenosafranine
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for phenomenalism

British Dictionary definitions for phenomenalism

phenomenalism
/ (fɪˈnɒmɪnəˌlɪzəm) /

noun

philosophy the doctrine that statements about physical objects and the external world can be analysed in terms of possible or actual experiences, and that entities, such as physical objects, are only mental constructions out of phenomenal appearancesCompare idealism (def. 3), realism (def. 6)

Derived forms of phenomenalism

phenomenalist, noun, adjectivephenomenalistically, adverb
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