nonrealism
|non-real-ism|
🇺🇸
/nɑnˈriːəlɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/nɒnˈriːəlɪzəm/
rejection of realism
Etymology
'nonrealism' is a Modern English formation combining the prefix 'non-' (a negative prefix meaning 'not') with 'realism'. 'Realism' comes from French 'réalisme' (19th century), from 'real' ultimately from Latin 'realis' meaning 'relating to things' (from 'res' meaning 'thing').
'Realism' entered English via French 'réalisme' and became used for artistic and philosophical doctrines in the 19th century; 'non-' as a productive negative prefix in English was attached to form 'nonrealism' to denote the negation or opposition to those doctrines, producing the modern compound 'nonrealism'.
Originally 'realism' denoted the quality or doctrine of concerning the real or things-as-they-are; over time it specialized into art- and philosophy-specific senses. 'Nonrealism' began simply as 'not realism' and has since developed specialized senses in both art (a stylistic category) and philosophy (a doctrinal position denying certain kinds of realism).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an artistic style or approach that rejects literal, detailed, or photographic representation of subjects, favoring abstraction, stylization, symbolic, or expressionistic depiction instead.
The gallery's new show explores nonrealism in contemporary painting, where mood and idea outweigh accurate depiction.
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Noun 2
a philosophical position (often used in metaethics, aesthetics, or the philosophy of science) that denies the existence or knowability of mind-independent, objective entities or truths in a particular domain; e.g., moral nonrealism denies objective moral facts.
In the course, the professor contrasted moral realism with moral nonrealism, showing how each accounts for ethical disagreement.
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Last updated: 2025/11/18 14:33