Meaning & use
idiographic
Last updated
Relating to the study of individual cases or unique instances, rather than general laws or broad patterns.
See it in a sentence
The therapist took an idiographic approach, focusing on the client's unique life history.
Case studies are a classic example of idiographic research in psychology.
A note on using this word
Chiefly used in psychology and social science, where it is contrasted with "nomothetic," the search for general laws across many cases.
Words with an opposite meaning
nomothetic
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