objectivism

[ uhb-jek-tuh-viz-uhm ]

noun

1. a tendency to lay stress on the objective or external elements of cognition.
2. the tendency, as of a writer, to deal with things external to the mind rather than with thoughts or feelings.
3. a doctrine characterized by this tendency.

objectivism

/ əbˈdʒɛktɪˌvɪzəm /

noun

1. the tendency to stress what is objective
2. philosophy
   1. the meta-ethical doctrine that there are certain moral truths that are independent of the attitudes of any individuals
   2. the philosophical doctrine that reality is objective, and that sense data correspond with it

Derived Forms

• obˌjectivˈistic, adjective
• obˈjectivist, nounadjective
• obˌjectivˈistically, adverb

Other Words From

• ob·jectiv·ist noun adjective
• ob·jecti·vistic adjective
• nonob·jecti·vistic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of objectivism¹

First recorded in 1850–55; objective + -ism

Example Sentences

Right-wing libertarianism, objectivism, and "free markets" are the best path to real freedom for Black America.

From Salon

Hiding behind the mantle of balance and objectivism, the mainstream media is hesitant to make discriminating judgments or take moral positions in the face of a growing authoritarianism.

From Salon

Jedeed had grown up in a family steeped in a deeply conservative vein of libertarianism known as objectivism, a philosophy developed by the late author Ayn Rand.

From Washington Post

In “Scarred,” she describes pouring thousands of dollars into a pyramid scheme that promised personal transformation, studying a philosophy that echoed the teachings of the Landmark Forum, EST, Scientology and Ayn Rand’s objectivism.

From New York Times

I said I didn’t like it—that I had no patience for objectivism, or for Ayn Rand’s present-day acolytes, with their devotion to the free market and unfettered individualism.

From The New Yorker