pragmatism

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈprægməˌtɪzəm/

📖 Definitions

  1. noun
    A philosophical tradition that originated in the United States in the late 19th century, associated with thinkers such as Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, which holds that the meaning and truth of concepts and beliefs are determined by their practical consequences and usefulness.; A practical, matter-of-fact approach to situations and problems, emphasizing what works and what produces results rather than adhering to abstract principles or ideals.; In political contexts, a tendency to make decisions based on practical considerations and achievable outcomes rather than ideological purity or theoretical consistency.; In linguistics and philosophy of language, the study of how context contributes to meaning, particularly how speakers use and interpret language in real-world situations (sometimes used interchangeably with 'pragmatics').; A doctrine or attitude that prioritizes practical experience and empirical results over theoretical speculation or dogmatic belief.

🔗 Details

Word forms

uncountable

Collocations

political pragmatisma sense of pragmatismpragmatism over idealismsheer pragmatismpragmatism and realism

Derivatives

pragmaticpragmaticallypragmatist

Synonyms

practicalityrealismutilitarianismempiricismmatter-of-factness

Antonyms

idealismdogmatismutopianism

Commonly confused

pragmatic
EN: 'Pragmatic' is the adjective form (a pragmatic approach); 'pragmatism' is the noun denoting the philosophy or quality itself.
practicality
EN: 'Practicality' refers more broadly to the quality of being practical or feasible; 'pragmatism' specifically implies a philosophical stance of prioritizing practical results over theory or principle.

Spelling tips

EN: Remember the silent 'g' before the 'm': pragma-tism, not 'pragamism'. The root is Greek 'pragma' (deed, act).

💬 Examples

  1. William James is often credited with popularizing pragmatism as a distinct philosophical movement.

  2. The manager's pragmatism led her to adopt a hybrid work model rather than insisting on a full return to the office.

  3. The senator was praised for her pragmatism in reaching a bipartisan compromise on the infrastructure bill.

  4. The course covered both semantics and pragmatism, examining how meaning shifts depending on the communicative context.

  5. His pragmatism in scientific research meant he preferred experimental data over elegant but untested hypotheses.