pragmatism

noun

prag·​ma·​tism ˈprag-mə-ˌti-zəm 

1

: a practical approach to problems and affairs

tried to strike a balance between principles and pragmatism

2

: an American movement in philosophy founded by C. S. Peirce and William James and marked by the doctrines that the meaning of conceptions is to be sought in their practical bearings, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth is preeminently to be tested by the practical consequences of belief

pragmatist

ˈprag-mə-tist 

adjective or noun

pragmatistic

ˌprag-mə-ˈti-stik 

adjective

Examples of pragmatism in a Sentence

To put it rather more crudely, he is trying to sell his integrationist and reformist agenda using traditionalist legal wrappings. It is, of course, this pragmatism, which sometimes comes across as slippery casuistry, that so annoys his critics. —Malise Ruthven, New York Review of Books, 16 Aug. 2007

These are books without slogans, manuals that favor subtlety over simplicity, moderation over bombast, pragmatism over ideology. —Jonathan Tepperman, New York Times Book Review, 16 Oct 2005

… compromise (or better yet, its spirit) symbolizes the necessary pragmatism expected of politics in a pluralist society. —Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings …, 1996

The right person for the job will balance vision with pragmatism.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tehran continues to adhere to the core features of its revolutionary ideology, including its anti-American and anti-Israeli foreign policy, but can also act with pragmatism when circumstances demand it. — Nate Swanson, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026

His collection was less the product of some grand strategy than an extraordinarily long social life, a curious eye, and a healthy dose of pragmatism. — Daniel Cassady For Artnews, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026

Wednesday will be left to juggle expectations and pragmatism. — Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026

An alternative theory to the Tea Party one is that the general sense of emergency in 2026 has led Democrats, and especially the rising young figures hoping to lead the Party, to embrace political pragmatism. — Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 26 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

see pragmatic

First Known Use

circa 1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pragmatism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism

Kids Definition

pragmatism

noun

prag·​ma·​tism ˈprag-mə-ˌtiz-əm 

1

: a practical approach to problems and affairs

2

: a doctrine that truth is to be tested by the practical effects of belief

pragmatist

-mət-əst 

adjective or noun