Meaning & use
totalizing
Last updated
Presenting or seeking to account for something as a single, complete, all-encompassing system, often used critically of ideologies that ignore individual differences.
See it in a sentence
Critics accused the theory of offering a totalizing account of history that left no room for exceptions.
The novel resists any totalizing interpretation of its meaning.
A note on using this word
Frequently used in critical theory and philosophy, often with negative connotations, to describe systems that flatten complexity into one narrative.
Words with a similar meaning
all-encompassingmonolithic
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
fragmentedpluralistic
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “totalizing”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.