"essentialism" meaning in English

See essentialism in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: essentialisms [plural]
Etymology: From essential + -ism. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|essential|ism}} essential + -ism Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} essentialism (countable and uncountable, plural essentialisms)
  1. (philosophy) The view that objects have properties that are essential to them. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Philosophy Translations (view that objects have properties that are essential to them): اَلْجَوْهَرَانِيَّة (al-jawharāniyya) (Arabic), essencialisme [masculine] (Catalan), 本質主義 (Chinese Mandarin), 本质主义 (běnzhìzhǔyì) (Chinese Mandarin), 精粹主義 (Chinese Mandarin), 精粹主义 (jīngcuìzhǔyì) (Chinese Mandarin), esencialismus [masculine] (Czech), essentsialism (Estonian), essentialismi (Finnish), essentialisme [masculine] (French), Essentialismus [masculine] (German), ουσιοκρατία (ousiokratía) [feminine] (Greek), esszencializmus (Hungarian), eðlishyggja [feminine] (Icelandic), verundarhyggja [feminine] (Icelandic), 本質主義 (honshitsushugi) (alt: ほんしつしゅぎ) (Japanese), 본질주의 (bonjiljuui) (Korean), essencialismo [masculine] (Portuguese), esencializmus (Slovak), esencialismo [masculine] (Spanish), essentialism [common-gender] (Swedish), özcülük (Turkish)
    Sense id: en-essentialism-en-noun-Z-A45C4C Categories (other): Pages with 2 entries Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 11 20 28 14 28 Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences Disambiguation of 'view that objects have properties that are essential to them': 72 10 9 3 6
  2. (sociology) The view that all members of certain groups of people (such as those with the same race, gender, age, or sexual orientation) have common, essential traits inherent to the defining feature of the group; (also) behavior or statement(s) that reflect such a view. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Sociology
    Sense id: en-essentialism-en-noun-CtFwRKzj Categories (other): Pages with 2 entries Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 11 20 28 14 28 Topics: human-sciences, sciences, social-science, sociology
  3. (education) The doctrine that there are certain traditional concepts, values, and skills that are essential to society and should be taught to all students. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Education
    Sense id: en-essentialism-en-noun-d-2TjDzA Categories (other): Pages with 2 entries Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 11 20 28 14 28 Topics: education
  4. A lifestyle that seeks to minimize nonessentials in order to focus on what is important. Tags: countable, uncountable
    Sense id: en-essentialism-en-noun-~tcLwBqP Categories (other): Pages with 2 entries Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 11 20 28 14 28
  5. (philosophy) The theory that human beings are by nature (i.e. essentially) good and that evil is the product of society. Tags: countable, uncountable Categories (topical): Philosophy
    Sense id: en-essentialism-en-noun-vXfRJART Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ism, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Estonian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Icelandic translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Korean translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Slovak translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations, Terms with Turkish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 12 20 24 12 32 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ism: 14 18 22 14 32 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 9 14 17 7 53 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 11 20 28 14 28 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 12 20 25 9 34 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 13 22 18 9 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 12 22 19 10 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 11 23 21 8 36 Disambiguation of Terms with Estonian translations: 11 21 21 9 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 12 22 19 10 37 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 11 17 21 14 37 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 12 17 21 11 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 14 19 20 13 34 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 13 22 19 13 33 Disambiguation of Terms with Icelandic translations: 12 22 19 10 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 11 17 21 9 41 Disambiguation of Terms with Korean translations: 12 22 19 10 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 13 20 20 11 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 10 21 21 9 39 Disambiguation of Terms with Slovak translations: 11 21 21 9 37 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 12 17 21 8 42 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 12 22 19 10 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Turkish translations: 12 22 19 10 38 Topics: human-sciences, philosophy, sciences
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: essentialist, essentialize

Inflected forms

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          "text": "A closer examination of the components of essentialism is required for a better understanding of the relation between essentialism and prejudice toward the two social categories of interest in this dissertation, African Americans and gay men.",
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          "ref": "2013, Anne Phillips, Gender and Culture, →ISBN:",
          "text": "Like most of those who use the term, I continue to think essentialism a bad thing, but what exactly is wrong with it? Is it a matter of degree, a question of context or something that must be avoided at all costs?",
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          "text": "I think we need to sophisticate our understanding of cultural essentialisms, including gender ones, because it might help us deal better with issues of resistance.",
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          "ref": "2015, Pramod K. Nayar, The Postcolonial Studies Dictionary, →ISBN, page 68:",
          "text": "Colonial discourse relied heavily on such essentialisms wherein a race or ethnic group was first represented as possessing certain key features and then those very features were 'applied' to all members of the group.",
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          "ref": "2004, Arthur K. Ellis, Exemplars of Curriculum Theory, →ISBN, page 109:",
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          "text": "Arguments of “back to basics” are usually associated with essentialism, and many contemporary educational theorists still suggest that the “nonessentials” should be taken out of the school curriculum.",
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          "ref": "2014, Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, →ISBN, page 4:",
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          "ref": "2015 September 9, Chris Danforth, “A First Look at ETQ's New Flagship Space in Amsterdam”, in Highsnobiety:",
          "text": "As a brand, ETQ is built around a philosophy which is entirely dedicated to essentialism. Everything from the creation of the label to the design of each product is inspired by three principles: simplicity, timelessness and quality.",
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          "ref": "2007, Mark Sydney Cladis, Public Vision, Private Lives, →ISBN, page 85:",
          "text": "I should also mention that Rousseau's essentialism, unlike many of his contemporaries', is rather limited.",
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          "ref": "2015 June 17, Rachel Spence, “Henri Rousseau: Archaic Candour, Palazzo Ducale, Venice”, in Financial Times:",
          "text": "But they fed what they saw as raw, unguarded essentialism into work that was anything but naive. Rousseau was a naïf himself; his work as seductively strange to the other modernists as an ancient Iberian sculpture or a child’s drawing.",
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(philosophy) The theory that human beings are by nature (i.e. essentially) good and that evil is the product of society."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "essentialism"
  ],
  "word": "essentialism"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms suffixed with -ism",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 2 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Catalan translations",
    "Terms with Czech translations",
    "Terms with Estonian translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Icelandic translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Korean translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Slovak translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations",
    "Terms with Turkish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "essential",
        "3": "ism"
      },
      "expansion": "essential + -ism",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From essential + -ism.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "essentialisms",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "essentialism (countable and uncountable, plural essentialisms)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "essentialist"
    },
    {
      "word": "essentialize"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Philosophy"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1991, Garth L. Hallett, Essentialism: A Wittgensteinian Critique, →ISBN, page 2:",
          "text": "More problematic is the essentialism that interests modal logicians, namely \"the view that some attributes belong to an object by necessity whereas others belong to it contingently.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004, Kelly James Clark, Richard Lints, James K. A. Smith, 101 Key Terms in Philosophy and Their Importance for Theology, →ISBN, page 21:",
          "text": "Opponents of essentialism argue that \"essences\" are simply creations of language and culture.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The view that objects have properties that are essential to them."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "philosophy",
          "philosophy"
        ],
        [
          "object",
          "object"
        ],
        [
          "properties",
          "property"
        ],
        [
          "essential",
          "essential"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(philosophy) The view that objects have properties that are essential to them."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Sociology"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Coordinate term: essentialization"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2007, Luisa Fernanda Ramirez, Dual Intergroup Meanings of Essentialism, →ISBN, page 8:",
          "text": "A closer examination of the components of essentialism is required for a better understanding of the relation between essentialism and prejudice toward the two social categories of interest in this dissertation, African Americans and gay men.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Anne Phillips, Gender and Culture, →ISBN:",
          "text": "Like most of those who use the term, I continue to think essentialism a bad thing, but what exactly is wrong with it? Is it a matter of degree, a question of context or something that must be avoided at all costs?",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2013, Brackette Williams, Women Out of Place, →ISBN:",
          "text": "I think we need to sophisticate our understanding of cultural essentialisms, including gender ones, because it might help us deal better with issues of resistance.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015, Pramod K. Nayar, The Postcolonial Studies Dictionary, →ISBN, page 68:",
          "text": "Colonial discourse relied heavily on such essentialisms wherein a race or ethnic group was first represented as possessing certain key features and then those very features were 'applied' to all members of the group.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The view that all members of certain groups of people (such as those with the same race, gender, age, or sexual orientation) have common, essential traits inherent to the defining feature of the group; (also) behavior or statement(s) that reflect such a view."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sociology",
          "sociology"
        ],
        [
          "trait",
          "trait"
        ],
        [
          "inherent",
          "inherent"
        ],
        [
          "behavior",
          "behavior"
        ],
        [
          "statement",
          "statement"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(sociology) The view that all members of certain groups of people (such as those with the same race, gender, age, or sexual orientation) have common, essential traits inherent to the defining feature of the group; (also) behavior or statement(s) that reflect such a view."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "sciences",
        "social-science",
        "sociology"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Education"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2004, Arthur K. Ellis, Exemplars of Curriculum Theory, →ISBN, page 109:",
          "text": "If a curriculum is dedicated to getting back to the basics, then we can be sure that the guiding philosophy is that of essentialism.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011, Thomas E. Smith, Clifford E. Knapp, Sourcebook of Experiential Education, →ISBN:",
          "text": "Arguments of “back to basics” are usually associated with essentialism, and many contemporary educational theorists still suggest that the “nonessentials” should be taken out of the school curriculum.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The doctrine that there are certain traditional concepts, values, and skills that are essential to society and should be taught to all students."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "education",
          "education"
        ],
        [
          "doctrine",
          "doctrine"
        ],
        [
          "traditional",
          "traditional"
        ],
        [
          "society",
          "society"
        ],
        [
          "student",
          "student"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(education) The doctrine that there are certain traditional concepts, values, and skills that are essential to society and should be taught to all students."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "education"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2014, Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, →ISBN, page 4:",
          "text": "In this example is the basic value proposition of Essentialism: only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 September 9, Chris Danforth, “A First Look at ETQ's New Flagship Space in Amsterdam”, in Highsnobiety:",
          "text": "As a brand, ETQ is built around a philosophy which is entirely dedicated to essentialism. Everything from the creation of the label to the design of each product is inspired by three principles: simplicity, timelessness and quality.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A lifestyle that seeks to minimize nonessentials in order to focus on what is important."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "lifestyle",
          "lifestyle"
        ],
        [
          "nonessential",
          "nonessential"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Philosophy"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2007, Mark Sydney Cladis, Public Vision, Private Lives, →ISBN, page 85:",
          "text": "I should also mention that Rousseau's essentialism, unlike many of his contemporaries', is rather limited.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2015 June 17, Rachel Spence, “Henri Rousseau: Archaic Candour, Palazzo Ducale, Venice”, in Financial Times:",
          "text": "But they fed what they saw as raw, unguarded essentialism into work that was anything but naive. Rousseau was a naïf himself; his work as seductively strange to the other modernists as an ancient Iberian sculpture or a child’s drawing.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The theory that human beings are by nature (i.e. essentially) good and that evil is the product of society."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "philosophy",
          "philosophy"
        ],
        [
          "nature",
          "nature"
        ],
        [
          "society",
          "society"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(philosophy) The theory that human beings are by nature (i.e. essentially) good and that evil is the product of society."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "human-sciences",
        "philosophy",
        "sciences"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "al-jawharāniyya",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "اَلْجَوْهَرَانِيَّة"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "essencialisme"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "本質主義"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "běnzhìzhǔyì",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "本质主义"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "精粹主義"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "jīngcuìzhǔyì",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "精粹主义"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "esencialismus"
    },
    {
      "code": "et",
      "lang": "Estonian",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "essentsialism"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "essentialismi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "essentialisme"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Essentialismus"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "ousiokratía",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ουσιοκρατία"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "esszencializmus"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "eðlishyggja"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "verundarhyggja"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ほんしつしゅぎ",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "honshitsushugi",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "本質主義"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "bonjiljuui",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "본질주의"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "essencialismo"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "esencializmus"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "esencialismo"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "tags": [
        "common-gender"
      ],
      "word": "essentialism"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "view that objects have properties that are essential to them",
      "word": "özcülük"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "essentialism"
  ],
  "word": "essentialism"
}

Download raw JSONL data for essentialism meaning in English (11.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.