pragmatism
noun
prag·ma·tism
ˈprag-mə-ˌti-zəm 
1
: a practical approach to problems and affairs
tried to strike a balance between principles and pragmatism
2
: an American movement in philosophy founded by C. S. Peirce and William James and marked by the doctrines that the meaning of conceptions is to be sought in their practical bearings, that the function of thought is to guide action, and that truth is preeminently to be tested by the practical consequences of belief
Examples of pragmatism in a Sentence
To put it rather more crudely, he is trying to sell his integrationist and reformist agenda using traditionalist legal wrappings. It is, of course, this pragmatism, which sometimes comes across as slippery casuistry, that so annoys his critics.
—
Malise Ruthven, New York Review of Books, 16 Aug. 2007
These are books without slogans, manuals that favor subtlety over simplicity, moderation over bombast, pragmatism over ideology.
—Jonathan Tepperman, New York Times Book Review, 16 Oct 2005
… compromise (or better yet, its spirit) symbolizes the necessary pragmatism expected of politics in a pluralist society.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings … , 1996
The right person for the job will balance vision with pragmatism.
Malise Ruthven, New York Review of Books, 16 Aug. 2007
These are books without slogans, manuals that favor subtlety over simplicity, moderation over bombast, pragmatism over ideology.
—Jonathan Tepperman, New York Times Book Review, 16 Oct 2005
… compromise (or better yet, its spirit) symbolizes the necessary pragmatism expected of politics in a pluralist society.
—Jack N. Rakove, Original Meanings … , 1996
The right person for the job will balance vision with pragmatism.
Recent Examples on the Web
Be Realistic With Yourself Danika Waddell, the founder of Xena Financial Planning in Seattle, raised the importance of personal comfort level and pragmatism in financial planning for equity comp and company shares.
—Bruce Brumberg, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Starmer, similarly, promised to bring more pragmatism and competence to the Labour leadership after taking over the party from his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, pledging to transform Labour from a party of protest into an electable party of government.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 28 June 2024
At the time, the Green New Deal was considered a scary, lefty idea, and I was struck by how unapologetically this Bronx middle school principal laid out the case for both its sweeping vision and its real-world pragmatism.
—Naomi Klein, New York Daily News, 9 June 2024
The false binary of purity vs. pragmatism Veganism is sometimes strawmanned as a kind of purity politics that only benefits sanctimonious activists.
—Jishnu Guha-Majumdar, Vox, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pragmatism 
Bruce Brumberg, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Starmer, similarly, promised to bring more pragmatism and competence to the Labour leadership after taking over the party from his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, pledging to transform Labour from a party of protest into an electable party of government.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 28 June 2024
At the time, the Green New Deal was considered a scary, lefty idea, and I was struck by how unapologetically this Bronx middle school principal laid out the case for both its sweeping vision and its real-world pragmatism.
—Naomi Klein, New York Daily News, 9 June 2024
The false binary of purity vs. pragmatism Veganism is sometimes strawmanned as a kind of purity politics that only benefits sanctimonious activists.
—Jishnu Guha-Majumdar, Vox, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pragmatism
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pragmatism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pragmatism
Cite this Entry
“Pragmatism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pragmatism. Accessed 18 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pragmatism
noun
prag·ma·tism
ˈprag-mə-ˌtiz-əm
1
: a practical approach to problems and affairs
2
: a doctrine that truth is to be tested by the practical effects of belief
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