emotivism

E1M3O1T1I1V4I1S1M3

noun

The meta-ethical stance that ethical judgments, such as those containing the words "should" and "ought to", are primarily expressions of one's own attitude and imperatives meant to change the attitudes and actions of another.

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Meanings

nounemotivism (countable and uncountable, plural emotivisms)

plural emotivisms

  1. countableuncountableethicsThe meta-ethical stance that ethical judgments, such as those containing the words "should" and "ought to", are primarily expressions of one's own attitude and imperatives meant to change the attitudes and actions of another.

    Another important meta-ethical theory is known as emotivism or non-cognitivism. Emotivists ... claim that all ethical statements are literally meaningless.

    1999, Nigel Warburton, Philosophy: The Basics

Origin

From emotive + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch emotivisme
  • emotivismeTranslations
Finnish emotivismi
  • emotivismiTranslations
Romanian emotivism
  • emotivismTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

emotivism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emotivism

MLA

“emotivism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emotivism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “emotivism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/emotivism.

Source: emotivism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.