Definition of pragmatism
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
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for pragmatism
The first known use of pragmatism was circa 1864
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