Definition of nominalism
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 (such as essences, classes, or propositions) exist — compare essentialism, realism
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for nominalism
The first known use of nominalism was in 1830
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