Meaning & use
monisms
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“monisms” is a form of “monism”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nouncountabletechnical
The plural of monism; various theories that all things come from a single basic substance or principle.
Grammar: Countable noun; used mainly in academic contexts to talk about multiple such theories.
Patterns
- the monisms of something
- different monisms
The course compares the monisms of ancient Greece and India.
Philosophers debate whether these monisms can be reconciled with modern science.
She argued that all monisms share a common flaw: they ignore plurality.
Word forms
| singular | monism |
|---|
Common combinations
- material monism
- Material monism holds that only physical matter is real.
- ideal monism
- Ideal monism claims that reality is fundamentally mental.
- neutral monism
- Neutral monism suggests that both mind and matter are aspects of a third, neutral substance.
- religious monism
- Religious monism often teaches that God and the universe are one.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nondualism
- Often used in religious contexts, especially Hinduism and Buddhism, to mean that there is no ultimate separation between self and reality; monism is broader and can be purely philosophical.
Opposites
Word family
- monist noun
- A person who believes in monism.
- monistic adjective
- Relating to or characteristic of monism.
Commonly confused: monisms or monism?
monisms vs monism
This is the singular form; 'monisms' is the plural. Use 'monism' when referring to one theory.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'monisms' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly uses the plural 'monisms' to refer to multiple theories. Option 1 uses 'monisms' as if it were a singular concept, which is wrong. Option 2 uses a plural verb 'is' with a plural noun, which is incorrect; it should be 'Monism is' or 'Monisms are'. Option 3 uses 'monisms' with a singular possessive 'its', which does not agree.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “monisms”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.