Main Entry: nom·i·nal·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈnä-mə-nə-ˌli-zəm, ˈnäm-nə-ˌli-zəm\

Function: noun

Date: 1844

1 : a theory that there are no universal essences in reality and that the mind can frame no single concept or image corresponding to any universal or general term
2 : the theory that only individuals and no abstract entities (as essences, classes, or propositions) exist — compare essentialism, realism

— nom·i·nal·ist \-ist, -list\ noun

— nominalist or nom·i·nal·is·tic \ˌnä-mə-nə-ˈlis-tik, ˌnäm-nə-ˈlis-\ adjective