universalism

American  

[yoo-nuh-vur-suh-liz-uhm] / ˌyu nəˈvɜr səˌlɪz əm /

noun

1. universal character; universality.

2. a universal range of knowledge, interests, or activities.

3. (initial capital letter) the doctrine that emphasizes the universal fatherhood of God and the final salvation of all souls.

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universalism ¹ British  

/ ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a universal feature or characteristic

2. another word for universality

3. social welfare the principle that welfare services should be available to all by right, according to need, and not restricted by individual ability to pay, but funded by general contributions through taxes, rates, or national insurance payments

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Universalism ² British  

/ ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəˌlɪzəm /

noun

1. a system of religious beliefs maintaining that all men are predestined for salvation

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Other Word Forms

• Universalist noun

Etymology

Origin of universalism

First recorded in 1795–1805; universal + -ism

Example Sentences

“They will be Palestinian New Yorkers in Bay Ridge who will no longer have to contend with a politics that speaks of universalism and then makes them the exception.”

From Slate • Jan. 3, 2026

Habsburg universalism rested on the Catholic Church, the symbolic order of the Holy Roman Empire and the use of Latin as the “neutral language of administration.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025

Brustein’s universalism grew ornerier and more claustrophobic with age.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 8, 2023

France does not keep any data on race and ethnicity as part of its doctrine of colorblind universalism — an approach purporting to see everyone as equal citizens.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 30, 2023

This mellowness and this universalism were not qualities present in perfection from the start, although we cannot say that Christianity was antagonistic to them.

From The Next Step in Religion An Essay toward the Coming Renaissance by Sellars, Roy Wood