Word.ws English Dictionary

algebraism

algebraism noun: the use of abstract logic and symbol manipulation as opposed to empirical observation.

Noun

algebraism (countable and uncountable, plural algebraisms)

  1. The use of abstract logic and symbol manipulation as opposed to empirical observation.
    • It is on the basis of the synthesis of algebraism and scientific experiment that one may correctly designate the rationalistic revival implied in the doctrines of Einstein.1951, Paul Arthur Schilpp, Albert Einstein: Philosopher Scientist, page 572
    • In fact, Jakobson is partly responsible for many misunderstandings about so-called abstractions and algebraisms in Hjelmslev 's linguistic research.1986, Nils Århammar, Aspects of Language: Theoretical and applied semantics, page 377

Examples of algebraism in a sentence

  • Empiricism in natural philosophy was matched by an advanced algebraism in mathematical thinking .1988, Carl A. Raschke, Theological Thinking, page 31:
  • Our interests in dialog, poetry, and orality are vectors of a single urge to recover a sounding sense deadened by algebraisms without the sense of sound or the sound of sense.1992, George E. Marcus, Rereading Cultural Anthropology, page 5:
  • Our dissatisfaction with algebraism arises from what we believe to be a reasonable skepticism concerning the arbitrary production of fictions for the sake of systematic neatness.2013, Katherine Munn, Barry Smith, Applied Ontology: An Introduction, page 77:

Forms of algebraism

pluralalgebraisms

Origin of algebraism

From algebra + -ism.

Questions about algebraism

What does algebraism mean?
Algebraism means the use of abstract logic and symbol manipulation as opposed to empirical observation.
How do you use algebraism in a sentence?
Empiricism in natural philosophy was matched by an advanced algebraism in mathematical thinking .
What part of speech is algebraism?
Algebraism is a noun.
What is the plural of algebraism?
The plural of algebraism is algebraisms.

Words near algebraism in the dictionary

  1. algebraicized
  2. algebraicizes
  3. algebraicizing
  4. algebraick
  5. algebraicness
  6. algebraism
  7. algebraisms
  8. algebraist
  9. algebraists
  10. algebraizability
  11. algebraizable

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: algebraism (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Cite this entry: “algebraism.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/algebraism. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.