scientism

American  

[sahy-uhn-tiz-uhm] / ˈsaɪ ənˌtɪz əm /

noun

1. the style, assumptions, techniques, practices, etc., typifying or regarded as typifying scientists.

2. the belief that the assumptions, methods of research, etc., of the physical and biological sciences are equally appropriate and essential to all other disciplines, including the humanities and the social sciences.

3. scientific or pseudoscientific language.

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scientism British  

/ ˈsaɪənˌtɪzəm /

noun

1. the application of, or belief in, the scientific method

2. the uncritical application of scientific or quasi-scientific methods to inappropriate fields of study or investigation

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Other Word Forms

• scientistic
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of scientism

First recorded in 1875–80; scient(ist) + -ism

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scientism

Pope Leo warns repeatedly against both economism and scientism: the temptation to reduce human beings to market functions or material processes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026

“I think it’s dangerous to lean too far into scientism, which is when you see the world exclusively through the lens of whether something is backed by science,” O’Keefe said.

From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2022

But his consilience project stems from excessive faith in science, or scientism.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 25, 2021

There’s also a difference between scientism and science.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 17, 2019

Their loadedness with variations, changes, uncontrollables, and our negative feelings about the implications of viewing human beings as predictable left the strict scientism of positivistic method wanting at this stage of man's knowing.

From Humanistic Nursing by Josephine G. Paterson

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