Library / English Dictionary

RATIONALIST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Someone who emphasizes observable facts and excludes metaphysical speculation about origins or ultimate causes

Synonyms:

positivist; rationalist

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("rationalist" is a kind of...):

nonreligious person (a person who does not manifest devotion to a deity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rationalist"):

logical positivist (someone who maintains that any statement that cannot be verified empirically is meaningless)

Derivation:

rationalism (the theological doctrine that human reason rather than divine revelation establishes religious truth)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to or characteristic of rationalism

Example:

rationalist philosophy

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Pertainym:

rationalism ((philosophy) the doctrine that knowledge is acquired by reason without resort to experience)

Credits