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pragmatist

noun

Etymology

From Ancient Greek πρᾶγμα (prâgma, “thing”).

  1. derived from πρᾶγμα — “thing”

Definitions

  1. One who acts in a practical or straightforward manner

    One who acts in a practical or straightforward manner; one who is pragmatic; one who values practicality or pragmatism.

    • A pragmatist would never plant such a messy tree, but I like its flowers.

  2. One who acts in response to particular situations rather than upon abstract ideals

    One who acts in response to particular situations rather than upon abstract ideals; one who is willing to ignore their ideals to accomplish goals.

    • I'm not a thief, I am a pragmatist. I need this bread to feed my family.
    • We cannot trust him not to lie for his own gain: he's an opportunist and a pragmatist.

  3. One who belongs to the philosophic school of pragmatism

    One who belongs to the philosophic school of pragmatism; one who holds that the meaning of beliefs is the actions they entail, and that the truth of those beliefs consists in the actions they entail, successfully leading a believer to their goals.

    • [S]ome pragmatists (such as William James) took a more pantheist or pandeist approach by rejecting views of God as separate from the world.
  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. An advocate of pragmatism.

    2. One who studies pragmatics.

    3. Advocating pragmatism.

      • Historians also suggest that Roosevelt was a pragmatist in foreign affairs, in that his policies were determined by practical consequences rather than by any philosophy.

The neighborhood

Derived

antipragmatist, neopragmatist, pragmatistic, sociopragmatist

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sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA