Meanings
plural things-in-themselves · alternative thing in itself
- A thing as it is independent of any conceptualization or perception by the human mind, postulated by practical reason but existing in a condition which is in principle unknowable and unexperienceable.
Synonyms: noumenon · Antonyms: phenomenon
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA thing as it is independent of any conceptualization or perception by the human mind, postulated by practical reason but existing in a condition which is in principle unknowable and unexperienceable.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe intellectual conception of a thing as it is in itself, not as it is known through perception
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- GermanDing an sich
- Englishthing-in-itself
Literal translation of the German Ding an sich.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic شَيْء فِي ذَاتِهِ
- شَيْء فِي ذَاتِهِ (šayʔ fī ḏātihi)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Chinese Mandarin 本體 /本体, 物自體 /物自体
- 本體 /本体 (běntǐ)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
- 物自體 /物自体 (wùzìtǐ)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Czech věc o sobě
- věc o soběthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Estonian asi iseeneses
- asi iseenesesthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Finnish olio sinänsä, noumeeni
- olio sinänsäthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
- noumeenithing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
French chose en soi
- chose en soithing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
German Ding an sich, Ding-an-sich
- Ding an sichthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
- Ding-an-sichthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Greek πράγμα αυτό καθ’ αυτό, πράγμα αυτό καθαυτό
- πράγμα αυτό καθ’ αυτό (prágma aftó kath’ aftó)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
- πράγμα αυτό καθαυτό (prágma aftó kathaftó)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Hebrew דבר בפני עצמו
- דבר בפני עצמו (davar bifne atsmo)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Italian cosa in sé
- cosa in séthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Japanese 本体, 物自体
- 本体 (hontai)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
- 物自体 (monojitai)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Korean 물자체
- 물자체 (muljache)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Polish rzecz sama w sobie, noumen
- rzecz sama w sobiething as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
- noumenthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
- noumenonthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Portuguese coisa em si
- coisa em sithing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Russian вещь в себе́
- вещь в себе́ (veščʹ v sebé)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Slovak vec o sebe
- vec o sebething as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Spanish cosa en sí
- cosa en síthing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Ukrainian річ у собі́
- річ у собі́ (rič u sobí)thing as it is independent of any conceptualization — see also noumenon
Cite this entry
thing-in-itself. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thing-in-itself
“thing-in-itself.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thing-in-itself. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thing-in-itself,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thing-in-itself.
Source: thing-in-itself on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.