Definition of PRAGMATIST

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 At its core, Brexit represents a triumph for those within the Conservative Party who have fundamentally changed the nation’s calculations of where its interests lie, a triumph over the pragmatism for which Britons once prized themselves. — New York Times, "The Brexit Fight, Through a Reporter’s Prism of a Changed Continent," 26 Dec. 2020 The philosophy in Clay is pragmatism, which means assistance comes with the understanding that resources can be abused. — Maddie Mcgarvey, History & Culture, "In West Virginia, finding your next meal can be a community effort," 18 Dec. 2020 The recent episode has enforced a sense of pragmatism within the program, however. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, "Ohio State football coach Ryan Day on his coronavirus diagnosis: ‘I felt like I let people down’," 10 Dec. 2020 Even more than expected, Mr Biden’s choices reflected a stress on unflashy expertise, pragmatism and personal loyalty. — The Economist, "Joe Biden unveils a reassuringly familiar national-security team," 28 Nov. 2020 Mainers largely have embraced Collins' call for pragmatism since sending her to the Senate in 1997. — Fox News, "'She knows Maine': How Susan Collins defied Democrats," 14 Nov. 2020 In Congress, Bass earned a reputation for her pragmatism and unassuming style and for being a team player who does not seek the limelight. — Phil Willon, Los Angeles Times, "One of these people could be Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ successor and California’s next senator," 7 Nov. 2020 During the primaries, Mr. Biden rebuffed pressure to move to the left, believing his party would embrace his pragmatism as its best chance to beat Mr. Trump. — Jonathan Martin, New York Times, "How Joe Biden Won the Presidency," 7 Nov. 2020 Her major refuge is a kind of therapeutic pragmatism. — James Wood, The New Yorker, "Does Knowing God Just Take Practice?," 2 Nov. 2020

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