monists
|mo-nists|
🇺🇸
/ˈmoʊnɪsts/
🇬🇧
/ˈməʊnɪsts/
(monist)
belief in oneness
Etymology
'monist' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'monos', where 'mono-' meant 'single, alone'.
'monist' developed in English from the noun 'monism' (from French/Latin formations of Greek mono-) plus the agent suffix '-ist' (compare French '-iste'), becoming the English agent noun 'monist' in the 19th century.
Initially, it meant 'an adherent of monism' (one who accepts a single underlying principle), and this core meaning has largely remained unchanged.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who holds the philosophical view of monism — that reality or existence is ultimately one single substance, principle, or kind.
Many monists argue that mind and matter are two aspects of a single substance.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
more broadly, someone who believes in or supports a single principle or explanation for a set of phenomena (not necessarily in strict philosophical terminology).
In debates about causation, some monists prefer a single underlying explanation rather than multiple causes.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/10 08:52