Main Entry: func·tion·al·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈfəŋ(k)-shnə-ˌli-zəm, -shə-nə-ˌli-\

Function: noun

Date: 1914

1 : a late 19th century to early 20th century American school of psychology concerned especially with how the mind functions to adapt the individual to the environment — compare structuralism 1
2 : a philosophy of design (as in architecture) holding that form should be adapted to use, material, and structure
3 : a theory that stresses the interdependence of the patterns and institutions of a society and their interaction in maintaining cultural and social unity
4 : a doctrine or practice that emphasizes practical utility or functional relations

— func·tion·al·ist \-shnə-list, -shə-nə-list\ noun

— functionalist or func·tion·al·is·tic \ˌfən(k)-shnə-ˈlis-tik, -shə-nə-ˈlis-\ adjective