NATURALISM

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does naturalism mean? 

• NATURALISM (noun)
  The noun NATURALISM has 2 senses:

1. (philosophy) the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms without recourse to spiritual or supernatural explanations

2. an artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description

  Familiarity information: NATURALISM used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• NATURALISM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(philosophy) the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms without recourse to spiritual or supernatural explanations

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("naturalism" is a kind of...):

philosophical doctrine; philosophical theory (a doctrine accepted by adherents to a philosophy)

Domain category:

philosophy (the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics)

Derivation:

naturalist (an advocate of the doctrine that the world can be understood in scientific terms)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An artistic movement in 19th century France; artists and writers strove for detailed realistic and factual description

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

naturalism; realism

Hypernyms ("naturalism" is a kind of...):

art movement; artistic movement (a group of artists who agree on general principles)

Derivation:

naturalistic (representing what is real; not abstract or ideal)