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pragmatist

noun

No English definition recorded for this entry.

L312562 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

adj

Etymology: From Ancient Greek πρᾶγμα (prâgma, “thing”).

  1. Advocating pragmatism.

    “Historians also suggest that Roosevelt was a pragmatist in foreign affairs, in that his policies were determined by practical consequences rather than by any philosophy.”

noun

Etymology: From Ancient Greek πρᾶγμα (prâgma, “thing”).

  1. One who acts in a practical or straightforward manner; one who is pragmatic; one who values practicality or pragmatism.

    “A pragmatist would never plant such a messy tree, but I like its flowers.”

  2. One who acts in response to particular situations rather than upon abstract ideals; one who is willing to ignore their ideals to accomplish goals.

    “I'm not a thief, I am a pragmatist. I need this bread to feed my family.”

    “We cannot trust him not to lie for his own gain: he's an opportunist and a pragmatist.”

  3. One who belongs to the philosophic school of pragmatism; one who holds that the meaning of beliefs is the actions they entail, and that the truth of those beliefs consists in the actions they entail, successfully leading a believer to their goals.

    “[S]ome pragmatists (such as William James) took a more pantheist or pandeist approach by rejecting views of God as separate from the world.”

  4. An advocate of pragmatism.
  5. One who studies pragmatics.