relativism

noun

rel·​a·​tiv·​ism ˈre-lə-ti-ˌvi-zəm How to pronounce relativism (audio)
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
relativist noun

Examples of relativism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That radical notion — that our next president shouldn’t have a rap sheet — made Hutchinson a pariah in today’s GOP, which seems to have traded its traditional reverence for law and order for a more pliable moral relativism. Mark Z. Barabak, The Mercury News, 23 Jan. 2024 Cultural relativism had a profound impact on nearly all anthropologists in the following decades. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 How Did Boas Establish the Theory of Cultural Relativism? By applying the scientific method to his anthropological research, Boas helped pioneer the theory of cultural relativism, which asserts that there are no absolute or moral standards among different cultures. Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024 Yet after a stumble into relativism—perhaps Communism isn’t so bad?—Bond rights himself. Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024 Belief in objective truth is necessary to pursue the higher things and to protect against relativism and nihilism. The Editors, National Review, 16 Oct. 2023 At the end, Gary espouses a belief in a Nietzschean form of relativism, or a collectivist view of moral truth, with a strong emphasis on individualism. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Sep. 2023 Grammar is out, relativism is in, and the very project of telling (alt: teaching) other people how to speak or write has come to be seen by many Americans as authoritarian on its face. S.c. Cornell, The New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2023 One of the ironies of our overheated present moment is that the rationalist panic about social constructionism has become aligned with the Christian right’s panic about moral relativism. Hari Kunzru, Harper’s Magazine , 22 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'relativism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of relativism was in 1865

Dictionary Entries Near relativism

Cite this Entry

“Relativism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/relativism. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

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