connectionism
noun
con·nec·tion·ism
kə-ˈnek-shə-ˌni-zəm 
: a school of cognitive science that holds that human mental processes (such as learning) can be explained by the computational modeling of neural nets which are thought to simulate the actions of interconnected neurons in the brain
Examples of connectionism in a Sentence
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But in 2012, connectionism finally triumphed over other AI variants and a new flood of predictions about imminent AGI washed over the world.
—
Gil Press, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Until the rebirth of connectionism in 2012, AI research and development has been driven mostly by academics.
—Gil Press, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
One goal of connectionism was to create a brainlike system in a computer.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
In the nineteen-fifties and sixties, a great deal of excitement had accompanied the Perceptron and other connectionist efforts; enthusiasm for connectionism waned in the years after.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
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Gil Press, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
Until the rebirth of connectionism in 2012, AI research and development has been driven mostly by academics.
—Gil Press, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
One goal of connectionism was to create a brainlike system in a computer.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
In the nineteen-fifties and sixties, a great deal of excitement had accompanied the Perceptron and other connectionist efforts; enthusiasm for connectionism waned in the years after.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Connectionism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/connectionism. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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