Essentialist: meaning, definitions and examples

Used in academic or philosophical discussions to describe someone who believes in essential truths or core features that define particular entities or phenomena.

• In her research, she took an essentialist approach to gender, focusing on the fundamental qualities that define masculinity and femininity.
• The essentialist perspective argues that certain traits are inherent and unchanging across different contexts.

Often used in religious or ideological debates to describe someone with strict adherence to basic principles, which can carry a negative connotation of being inflexible or extreme.

• The group's fundamentalist views on education led them to reject all modern scientific teachings.
• As a fundamentalist, he insists that every word in the sacred text is to be taken literally.

Best used to describe someone who focuses on practical and tangible outcomes, understanding the world as it is rather than as they wish it to be.

• As a realist, he knew that achieving their project goals would require more time and resources than initially planned.
• The realist approach in politics often involves pragmatic and sometimes unidealistic decisions.

Applies to situations where someone insists on maintaining traditional forms or standards, often used in art, music, or language discussions.

• As a purist, she only listens to vinyl records, believing they offer the truest sound quality.
• Language purists often oppose the incorporation of slang and foreign words into the dictionary.

Used when referring to a belief that certain categories (like gender, race, or other traits) have an underlying essence that defines them. It's often used in philosophical or theoretical discussions.

• The essentialist view of gender asserts that differences between men and women are inherent.
• Ecofeminism critiques essentialist modes of thinking.

Best used to describe someone who respects and adheres to long-established customs, beliefs, or methods in a cultural, religious, or social sense.

• As a traditionalist, she prefers the old ways of celebrating holidays.
• Traditionalists often resist changes to cultural rituals.

Used when describing a person who holds traditional values and is resistant to change, especially in a political or social context. It can sometimes carry a negative connotation of being overly rigid or opposed to progress.

• His conservative views on marriage have sparked much debate.
• The conservative faction opposed the new policies aimed at societal reform.

Refer to someone who admires or adheres to the ideals of classical antiquity, such as ancient Greek and Roman culture, arts, and philosophy.

• The classicalist approach to architecture emphasizes harmony, proportion, and composure.
• As a classicalist, she often references the works of Plato and Aristotle in her lectures.

Used to describe a belief that certain attributes or characteristics are intrinsic to a particular group or thing. Often applied in philosophical or sociological discussions.

• The essentialist perspective holds that certain gender roles are natural and unchanging.
• He adopted an essentialist view, arguing that creativity is a fundamental trait of the human species.

Mostly used in the context of biology and philosophy, it denotes the belief that biological processes should be understood as whole systems rather than just collections of parts.

• The organicist approach to medicine looks at the body as an interconnected system.
• His writing on ecology reflects an organicist understanding of nature.

Refers to a belief or philosophical approach that life cannot be fully explained by science alone and that there is a special 'vital force' that distinguishes living from non-living things.

• In the 19th century, many biologists adhered to vitalist principles to explain the complexity of life.
• Her arguments were rooted in vitalist philosophy, asserting that life's essence goes beyond mere physical composition.

Refers to someone who studies or is an expert in natural history, especially zoology or botany, emphasizing empirical evidence over supernatural explanations.

• The naturalist spent years documenting the behavior of the region's wildlife.
• As a naturalist, she believes that all phenomena can be explained through nature and science.