monism

M3O1N1I1S1M3
UK/ˈmɒnɪzəm/US/ˈmɑnɪzəm/

noun

The doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality, despite the appearance of diversity in the world.

Opposite
UncommonScrabble 10

Meanings

nounmonism (countable and uncountable, plural monisms)

plural monisms

  1. countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality, despite the appearance of diversity in the world.

    Many socialists were tending towards idealistic monism, regarding the world as an integrated progress of man and nature towards final harmony.

    1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume II: The Golden Age, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: rozwój (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 124

    Synonyms: one-thingism

  2. countablehistoricaluncountablegovernmentThe doctrine that there is a single source of political authority, especially that the church is subordinate to the state or vice versa.

    The same conflict between the monism of temporal theorists and the dualism of ecclesiastical thinkers—the same opposition of organic to symbiotic union—occurred in the ninth century.

    1964, Karl F. Morrison, Two Kingdoms: Ecclesiology in Carolingian Political Thought, Princeton University Press, page 4
  3. countableuncountableinternational lawThe legal doctrine that international law forms part of domestic law automatically after ratification or accession.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality, despite the appearance of diversity in the world.

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe doctrine that reality consists of a single basic substance or element

Opposite
Broader
doctrinephilosophyphilosophical system

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekμόνος“alone”
  2. New Latinmonismus
  3. Englishmonism

The word was coined by German philosopher Baron Christian von Wolff and first used in English in 1862, from New Latin monismus, from Ancient Greek μόνος (mónos, “alone”). By surface analysis, mon- + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 一元論 /一元论
  • 一元論 /一元论 (yīyuánlùn)doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Czech monismus
  • monismusdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Finnish monismi
  • monismidoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
French monisme
  • monismedoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
German Monismus
  • Monismusdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Italian monismo
  • monismodoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Japanese 一元論
  • 一元論 (ichigenron)doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Latin monismus
  • monismusdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Persian یگانهانگاری
  • یگانهانگاریdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Polish monizm
  • monizmdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Portuguese monismo
  • monismodoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Romanian monism
  • monismdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Russian мони́зм
  • мони́зм (monízm)doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Spanish monismo
  • monismodoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Swedish monism
  • monismdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Thai เอกนิยม
  • เอกนิยมdoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Ukrainian моні́зм
  • моні́зм (monízm)doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Vietnamese nhất nguyên luận, thuyết nhất nguyên
  • nhất nguyên luậndoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
  • thuyết nhất nguyêndoctrine of the oneness and unity of reality
Yiddish מאָניזם
  • מאָניזם (monizm)doctrine of the oneness and unity of reality

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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