materialism

materialism
noun Date: 1733 1. a. a theory that physical matter is the only or fundamental reality and that all being and processes and phenomena can be explained as manifestations or results of matter b. a doctrine that the only or the highest values or objectives lie in material well-being and in the furtherance of material progress c. a doctrine that economic or social change is materially caused — compare historical materialism 2. a preoccupation with or stress upon material rather than intellectual or spiritual things • materialist noun or adjectivematerialistic adjectivematerialistically adverb

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Materialism — materialism …   Dictionary of sociology

  • Materialism — • As the word itself signifies, Materialism is a philosophical system which regards matter as the only reality in the world, which undertakes to explain every event in the universe as resulting from the conditions and activity of matter, and… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • materialism — MATERIALÍSM s.n. 1. Concepţie filozofică potrivit căreia materia este factorul prim, iar conştiinţa factorul derivat; spec. filozofie marxistă (marxism). ♢ Materialism dialectic = ştiinţa despre raportul dintre materie şi conştiinţă, despre… …   Dicționar Român

  • Materialism — Ma*te ri*al*ism, n. [Cf. F. mat[ e]rialisme.] 1. The doctrine of materialists; materialistic views and tenets; called also {philosophical materialism}. [1913 Webster] The irregular fears of a future state had been supplanted by the materialism of …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • materialism —    Materialism is a philosophy of the ultimate constituents of reality that generally postulates either (1) all that exists is material, or (2) all that exists is either material or dependent upon the material. The first view has an ancient… …   Christian Philosophy

  • materialism — 1748, “philosophy that nothing exists except matter” (from Fr. matérialisme); 1851 as “a way of life based entirely on consumer goods.” From MATERIAL (Cf. material) + ISM (Cf. ism) …   Etymology dictionary

  • materialism — ► NOUN 1) a tendency to consider material possessions and physical comfort as more important than spiritual values. 2) Philosophy the doctrine that nothing exists except matter and its movements and modifications. DERIVATIVES materialist noun &… …   English terms dictionary

  • materialism — [mə tir′ē əl iz΄əm] n. [Fr matérialisme] 1. a) the philosophic doctrine that matter is the only reality and that everything in the world, including thought, will, and feeling, can be explained in terms of matter alone: opposed to IDEALISM b) the… …   English World dictionary

  • Materialism — Not to be confused with Materialistic. For the prioritization of resources, see economic materialism. For the Marxist analysis, see dialectical materialism. For consumerism, see consumerism. For materialist perspective on social development, see… …   Wikipedia

  • materialism — /meuh tear ee euh liz euhm/, n. 1. preoccupation with or emphasis on material objects, comforts, and considerations, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values. 2. the philosophical theory that regards… …   Universalium

  • Materialism —    As the principal terms and labels for Karl Marx’s central theory and approach suggest (“the materialist conception of history,” “historical materialism,” “dialectical materialism”), materialism lies at the heart of Marxism. Marx developed his… …   Historical dictionary of Marxism

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