essentialism
noun
es·sen·tial·ism
i-ˈsen(t)-shə-ˌli-zəm 
1
: an educational theory that ideas and skills basic to a culture should be taught to all alike by time-tested methods compare progressivism
2
: a philosophical theory ascribing ultimate reality to essence embodied in a thing perceptible to the senses compare nominalism
3
: the practice of regarding something (such as a presumed human trait) as having innate existence or universal validity rather than as being a social, ideological, or intellectual construct
Examples of essentialism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Over the last decade or so, ethnic identity, at least among the internet literati, has been governed by a certain essentialism that holds that culture is biologically ordained by blood.
—
Jp Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
At the time, accusations of narcissism, essentialism, and pandering to men’s baser instincts were lobbed against them, even by some feminist critics, while mainstream critics, gallerists, museum curators, and collectors tended to ignore or devalue their work.
—Leslie Camhi, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2023
But in a culture that became more and more ironic and street savvy, and less inclined to the kinds of gender essentialism Chicago promoted, her work’s almost painful sincerity began to count against her.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2023
A lot of our answers came from essentialism, the Plato and Aristotle thing.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2021
The essentialism examined in Descarte's Baby is being taken for another spin, though with a more precise focus.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2010
More recently, many of these traditions are intentionally expanding to reject ideas of gender essentialism and embrace a range of identities.
—Alyssa Beall, USA TODAY, 13 May 2023
This sort of identity-group essentialism — in which the race and gender of the writer are more important than the writer’s reasoning and evidence — has been endemic to efforts by Hannah-Jones to dismiss critiques by the nation’s leading historians in areas of their own, but not her, expertise.
—Nr Editors, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022
Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e is a 70-page book of alternative rules written by D&D players that’s meant to pull the game away from racial essentialism.
—Matthew Gault, Wired, 31 Dec. 2020
Jp Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2024
At the time, accusations of narcissism, essentialism, and pandering to men’s baser instincts were lobbed against them, even by some feminist critics, while mainstream critics, gallerists, museum curators, and collectors tended to ignore or devalue their work.
—Leslie Camhi, The New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2023
But in a culture that became more and more ironic and street savvy, and less inclined to the kinds of gender essentialism Chicago promoted, her work’s almost painful sincerity began to count against her.
—Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2023
A lot of our answers came from essentialism, the Plato and Aristotle thing.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2021
The essentialism examined in Descarte's Baby is being taken for another spin, though with a more precise focus.
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2010
More recently, many of these traditions are intentionally expanding to reject ideas of gender essentialism and embrace a range of identities.
—Alyssa Beall, USA TODAY, 13 May 2023
This sort of identity-group essentialism — in which the race and gender of the writer are more important than the writer’s reasoning and evidence — has been endemic to efforts by Hannah-Jones to dismiss critiques by the nation’s leading historians in areas of their own, but not her, expertise.
—Nr Editors, National Review, 17 Feb. 2022
Ancestry & Culture: An Alternative to Race in 5e is a 70-page book of alternative rules written by D&D players that’s meant to pull the game away from racial essentialism.
—Matthew Gault, Wired, 31 Dec. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'essentialism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near essentialism
Cite this Entry
“Essentialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentialism. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share