relativism
noun
rel·a·tiv·ism
ˈre-lə-ti-ˌvi-zəm 
1
a
: 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
Examples of relativism in a Sentence
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Benedict harshly criticized relativism in the Catholic faith, an emerging trend where nothing was considered a definitive source of religious truth.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
To attribute the corrosion of institutional trust to such bugbears as relativism or postmodernism is to ignore explanations that are both more concrete and more parsimonious.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
But Freeman’s three-year project hasn’t been based on relativism.
—Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
After the Realpolitik relativism of the Vietnam and the Nixon eras, Carter committed himself to diplomacy, deferred to international norms and elevated human rights into a priority of American foreign policy.
—Jane Harman, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024
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Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Apr. 2025
To attribute the corrosion of institutional trust to such bugbears as relativism or postmodernism is to ignore explanations that are both more concrete and more parsimonious.
—Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
But Freeman’s three-year project hasn’t been based on relativism.
—Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
After the Realpolitik relativism of the Vietnam and the Nixon eras, Carter committed himself to diplomacy, deferred to international norms and elevated human rights into a priority of American foreign policy.
—Jane Harman, TIME, 30 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for relativism
Cite this Entry
“Relativism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relativism. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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