relativism

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UK/ˈɹɛl.ə.tɪ.vɪz.əm/Canada, US[ˈɹɛl.ə.ɾɪ.vɪz.əm]

noun

The theory, especially in ethics or aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding them.

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Meanings

nounrelativism (countable and uncountable, plural relativisms)

plural relativisms

  1. uncountablehuman sciencesThe theory, especially in ethics or aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding them.

    We thus reach a position of extreme relativism: different 'truths' may be useful in different historical situations, and it is quite possible that any truth is valid only for a particular epoch or social class.

    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 442
  2. countablehuman sciencesA specific such theory, advocated by a particular philosopher or school of thought.

    Following Gilbert Harman’s lead, my own formulation of relativism about the normative domain was based on the classic examples of thoroughgoing relativisms drawn from physics.

    2008, Paul Boghossian, “Replies to Wright, MacFarlane and Sosa”, in Philosophical Studies, volume 141, number 3, page 413

Origin

From relative + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans relativisme
  • relativismetheory that truth and moral values are relative
Arabic نِسْبَوِيَّة
  • نِسْبَوِيَّة (nisbawiyya)theory that truth and moral values are relative
Catalan relativisme
  • relativismetheory that truth and moral values are relative
Chinese Mandarin 相對主義 /相对主义
  • 相對主義 /相对主义 (xiāngduìzhǔyì)theory that truth and moral values are relative
Czech relativismus
  • relativismustheory that truth and moral values are relative
Finnish relativismi, suhteellisuusajattelu
  • relativismitheory that truth and moral values are relative
  • suhteellisuusajattelutheory that truth and moral values are relative
French relativisme
  • relativismetheory that truth and moral values are relative
German Relativismus
  • Relativismustheory that truth and moral values are relative
Irish coibhneasacht
  • coibhneasachttheory that truth and moral values are relative
Italian relativismo
  • relativismotheory that truth and moral values are relative
Japanese 相対主義
  • 相対主義 (sōtaishugi)theory that truth and moral values are relative
Malay relativisme, nisbiah
  • relativismetheory that truth and moral values are relative
  • nisbiahtheory that truth and moral values are relative
Norwegian Bokmål relativisme
  • relativismetheory that truth and moral values are relative
Polish relatywizm
  • relatywizmtheory that truth and moral values are relative
Portuguese relativismo
  • relativismotheory that truth and moral values are relative
Romanian relativism
  • relativismtheory that truth and moral values are relative
Russian релятиви́зм
  • релятиви́зм (reljativízm)theory that truth and moral values are relative
Spanish relativismo
  • relativismotheory that truth and moral values are relative
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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