What does nominalism mean?
Nominalism is a philosophical position concerning the reality of universals: shared categories such as “human,” “animal,” or “beauty.” A nominalist maintains that such categories are represented by names, words, or concepts rather than by universal realities existing independently of particular things. The issue became especially important in medieval philosophy, where thinkers debated whether universals were merely names, mental concepts, or independently existing forms. Modern nominalism can also be understood as an account of how language and conceptual practice organize our experience of the world. The term is not simply a synonym for ordinary language or superficial naming; it identifies a serious philosophical challenge to theories that grant abstract objects a mind-independent existence. Although often contrasted with realism and conceptualism, nominalism exists in several forms, so its meaning depends partly on the philosophical context in which it is discussed.
nounIn philosophy, nominalism is the view that universal categories and properties—such as “humanity” or “redness”—are names or words rather than independently existing realities. The term is especially associated with medieval debates over the status of universals.
- The philosophical doctrine that universals and abstract categories are names or mental concepts rather than independently existing entities.
"The philosopher defended a form of nominalism, arguing that universal terms do not refer to objects existing outside our minds."
"Medieval nominalism challenged the claim that a single universal form underlies all individual objects of the same kind."
"Her analysis combines elements of nominalism with a modern account of how language shapes classification."
A rare plural used when referring to different versions or theories of nominalism.
"The study compares rival nominalisms developed in medieval scholastic philosophy."
Nominalism turns the abstract into a label: without names such as “tree” or “justice,” our shared categories might not exist in the way we imagine.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nominalism come from?
Nominalism derives from nominal, meaning “of or relating to a name,” and the suffix -ism, which forms a doctrine or theory. The adjective nominal comes through French from Latin nominalis, associated with nomen, meaning “name.” The resulting term names the doctrine that universals are names or concepts rather than independently existing realities.
Related word forms
How nominalism is actually used
Primarily used in philosophy, theology, and intellectual history. It is usually treated as a formal, specialist term, and its historical sense should be distinguished from broader everyday uses of “nominal” meaning existing merely in name.