Meanings
nounpragmatism (countable and uncountable, plural pragmatisms)
plural pragmatisms
- countableuncountableThe pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities; a concentration on facts rather than emotions or ideals.
- countableuncountablehuman sciencesThe idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer, and the truth of beliefs with success of those actions in securing a believer's goals; the doctrine that ideas must be looked at in terms of their practical effects and consequences.
Our conception of these practical consequences is for us the whole of our conception of the object, so far as that conception has positive significance at all. This is the principle of [Charles Sanders] Peirce, the principle of pragmatism.
1902, William James, “Lecture XVIII: Philosophy”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 445 - countableuncountablegovernmentThe theory that political problems should be met with practical solutions rather than ideological ones.
- countableobsoleteuncountableThe habit of interfering in other people's affairs; meddlesomeness.
Synonyms & antonyms
Opposite
nounthe attribute of accepting the facts of life and favoring practicality and literal truth
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From Ancient Greek stem of πρᾶγμα (prâgma, “act”) + -ism.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic بْرَاغْمَاتِيَّة, بْرَاغْمَاتِيَّة
- بْرَاغْمَاتِيَّة (brāḡmātiyya)pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- بْرَاغْمَاتِيَّة (brāḡmātiyya)philosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- بْرَاغْمَاتِيَّة (brāḡmātiyya)political theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Catalan pragmatisme, pragmatisme
- pragmatismepursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatismephilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
Chinese Mandarin 實用主義 /实用主义
- 實用主義 /实用主义 (shíyòngzhǔyì)pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
Dutch pragmatisme, pragmatisme
- pragmatismepursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatismephilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- pragmatismepolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Finnish pragmatismi, pragmaattisuus
- pragmatismipursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmaattisuuspursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatismiphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- pragmatismipolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
French pragmatisme
- pragmatismepursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
German Pragmatismus, Pragmatismus
- Pragmatismuspursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- Pragmatismusphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
Hindi अर्थक्रियावाद, व्यावहारिकतावाद
- अर्थक्रियावाद (arthakriyāvād)philosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- व्यावहारिकतावाद (vyāvhāriktāvād)philosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- प्रयोजनवाद (prayojanvād)philosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
Hungarian pragmatizmus
- pragmatizmusphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
Indonesian pragmatisme, pragmatisme
- pragmatismepursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatismephilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- pragmatismepolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Irish réadúlacht, réadúlacht
- réadúlachtpursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- réadúlachtphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- réadúlachtpolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Italian pragmatismo
- pragmatismophilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
Japanese プラグマティズム, 実用主義
- プラグマティズム (puragumatizumu)pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- 実用主義 (jitsuyōshugi)pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
Latin prāgmatismus, prāgmatismus
- prāgmatismuspursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- prāgmatismuspolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Lithuanian pragmatika, pragmatika
- pragmatikapursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatikaphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- pragmatikapolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Portuguese pragmatismo, pragmatismo
- pragmatismopursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatismophilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- pragmatismopolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Romanian pragmatism, pragmatism
- pragmatismpursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatismphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- pragmatismpolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Russian прагмати́зм, прагмати́зм
- прагмати́зм (pragmatízm)pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- прагмати́зм (pragmatízm)philosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- прагмати́зм (pragmatízm)political theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Spanish pragmatismo, pragmatismo
- pragmatismopursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- pragmatismophilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- pragmatismopolitical theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Turkish pragmatizm, faydacılık
- pragmatizmphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- faydacılıkphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- yararcılıkphilosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
Ukrainian прагмати́зм, прагмати́зм
- прагмати́зм (prahmatýzm)pursuit of practicality over aesthetic qualities
- прагмати́зм (prahmatýzm)philosophical idea that beliefs are identified with the actions of a believer
- прагмати́зм (prahmatýzm)political theory that problems should be met with/by practical solutions rather than ideological ones
Cite this entry
APA
pragmatism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pragmatism
MLA
“pragmatism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pragmatism. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pragmatism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pragmatism.
Source: pragmatism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.