Main Entry:

pos·i·tiv·ism

Pronunciation:

\ˈpä-zə-ti-ˌvi-zəm, ˈpäz-ti-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French positivisme, from positif positive + -isme -ism

Date:

1847

1 a: a theory that theology and metaphysics are earlier imperfect modes of knowledge and that positive knowledge is based on natural phenomena and their properties and relations as verified by the empirical sciences b: logical positivism2: the quality or state of being positive

— pos·i·tiv·ist \-vist\ adjective or noun

— pos·i·tiv·is·tic \ˌpä-zə-ti-ˈvis-tik, ˌpäz-ti-\ adjective

— pos·i·tiv·is·ti·cal·ly \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb