irrealism
|ir-real-ism|
/ɪˈriːəlɪzəm/
not realism; unreal quality
Etymology
'irrealism' originates from English formation using the negative prefix 'ir-' (from Latin 'in-' assimilated before 'r') combined with the noun 'realism', where 'ir-' meant 'not' and 'realism' ultimately derives from Latin 'realis' meaning 'real, relating to things'.
'irrealism' changed from the modern English coinage formed by adding the negative prefix 'ir-' to the existing word 'realism' and thus became the modern English word 'irrealism'.
Initially it meant 'the condition or quality of not being realist or of lacking realism', but over time it has been used both in aesthetics to describe dreamlike or fantastical art and in philosophy to describe specific anti-realist positions.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the quality or state of being unreal or not conforming to objective reality; an aesthetic or literary tendency toward dreamlike, fantastical, or nonreal depiction.
The novel's irrealism blurs the line between dream and waking life.
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Noun 2
in philosophy, a position (a form of anti-realism) denying that certain entities or facts exist independently of our conceptions, language, or epistemic practices.
Some contemporary philosophers defend a kind of irrealism about abstract objects, arguing they lack mind-independent existence.
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Last updated: 2025/11/18 14:44