Etymology

scientism

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Today it means: The belief that the scientific method and the assumptions and research methods of the physical sciences are applicable to all other disciplines (such as the humanities and social sciences), or that those other disciplines are not as valuable. Full definition →

English scientific ← Middle French scientifique ← Medieval Latin scientificus
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sek-?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*skey-
  3. Latinsciō
  4. Latinsciēns
  5. Classical Latinscientia
  6. Latinscientia
  7. Medieval Latinscientificus
  8. Middle Frenchscientifique
  9. Englishscientific
  10. English todayscientism

From scient- (in either Classical Latin scientia or scientific) + -ism. Compare scientist.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.