idealism
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
First attested 1796, from ideal + -ism.
Noun [edit]
idealism (countable and uncountable; plural idealisms)
- The property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable or at odds with practical life.
- (philosophy) An approach to philosophical enquiry which asserts that direct and immediate knowledge can only be had of ideas or mental pictures.
Synonyms [edit]
- (philosophy): philosophical idealism
Antonyms [edit]
- (philosophy): materialism
Derived terms [edit]
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
property of a person of having high ideals that are usually unrealizable
an approach to philosophical enquiry
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- idealism in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- idealism in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913