relativism

noun

rel·a·tiv·ism | \ˈre-lə-ti-ˌvi-zəm

Definition of relativism

1a : a theory that knowledge is relative to the limited nature of the mind and the conditions of knowing

b : a view that ethical truths depend on the individuals and groups holding them

2 : relativity

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The pernicious philosophy of relativism teaches that there is no objective truth. — WSJ, "Notable & Quotable: Betsy DeVos," 18 Sep. 2018 Bad things: Jenny, Vanessa’s sudden descent into moral relativism. — Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, "Every Single Episode of Gossip Girl, Ranked," 19 Sep. 2018 Long shrouded in a gray area of cultural relativism, eating dogs has become a taboo in the country as younger generations gravitate closer to the Western belief that a pooch is man’s best friend, rather than a tasty delicacy, according to AFP. — Fox News, "South Korean court outlaws killing dogs for their meat," 21 June 2018 Today, the lens represents a struggle between objectivity and relativism. — Allain Daigle, The Atlantic, "How the 50-mm Lens Became ‘Normal’," 13 May 2018 There is space within the Catholic tradition for a kind of situational ethics that doesn’t automatically collapse into moral relativism. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The conservative case against Pope Francis — and why it matters," 5 Apr. 2018 Still, by challenging moral relativism more broadly, Douthat nonetheless raises an important point. — Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, "The conservative case against Pope Francis — and why it matters," 5 Apr. 2018 Some might blame the truth-disparaging theories that have long been incubating in certain corners of the academy, which go by the names of relativism and postmodernism. — Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, WSJ, "Truth Isn’t the Problem—We Are," 15 Mar. 2018 Walter Kempowski, who was born in 1929 and died in 2007, was a lifelong investigator of this kind of private relativism. — Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, "Walter Kempowski’s Epic Novel of Germany in Collapse," 21 Mar. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relativism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.