idealism

English

Etymology

First attested 1796, from ideal + -ism.

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Noun

idealism (countable and uncountable, plural idealisms)

  1. The property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable or at odds with practical life.
  2. The practice or habit of giving or attributing ideal form or character to things; treatment of things in art or literature according to ideal standards or patterns;—opposed to realism.[1]
  3. (philosophy) An approach to philosophical enquiry, which asserts that direct and immediate knowledge can only be had of ideas or mental pictures.
    Synonym: philosophical idealism
    Antonym: materialism

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

Further reading

  • "idealism" in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 152.

Anagrams

Romanian

Etymology

From French idéalisme. Equivalent to ideal + -ism.

Noun

idealism n (uncountable)

  1. idealism

Declension

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