ironism

I1R1O1N1I1S1M3

noun

A state of doubt regarding one's own "vocabulary" (set of communicative beliefs) that cannot be removed by making arguments in that vocabulary.

OriginAncient Greek εἴρων →
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Meanings

nounironism (uncountable)
  1. uncountablehuman sciencesA state of doubt regarding one's own "vocabulary" (set of communicative beliefs) that cannot be removed by making arguments in that vocabulary.

    Perhaps Rorty's pragmatics of liberal ironism is a better way of understanding the implication of the existence of disdained others on the post-modern.

    2002, Keith Tester, The Life and Times of Post-Modernity, Routledge, →ISBN, page 149

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekεἴρων“one who says less than they think”
  2. Englishironism

Coined by American philosopher Richard Rorty, from Ancient Greek εἴρων (eírōn, “one who says less than they think”). By surface analysis, irony + -ism.

More words from Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Italian ironismo
  • ironismostate of doubt
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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