What does "syncretism" mean?
The reconciliation or fusion of different systems or beliefs (religious, cultural, or otherwise cosmologic or ontologic).
Syncretism
/ˈsɪŋkɹəˌtɪzm̩/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The reconciliation or fusion of different systems or beliefs (religious, cultural, or otherwise cosmologic or ontologic).
- Grammar: syncretism is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: addition, admixture, affiliation, agglomeration.
- Usage evidence: Syncretism is my religious inclination.
How to use "syncretism"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Definition decision workflow
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 The reconciliation or fusion of different systems or beliefs (religious, cultural, or otherwise cosmologic or ontologic). countable, uncountable
"Having thus established his trinity of hypotheses, M. Lamennais deduces therefrom, by a badly connected chain of analogies, his whole philosophy. And it is here especially that we notice the syncretism which is peculiar to him. The theory of M. Lamennais embraces all systems, and supports all opinions."
- 2 the fusion of originally different inflected forms (resulting in a reduction in the use of inflections) wordnet
- 3 The fusion of different inflexional forms. countable, uncountable
"In this paper a distinction is assumed between full syncretism, which affects whole morphemes, and partial syncretism, which affects only some case allomorphs, and also between syncretism proper and mere loss of a case morpheme."
- 4 the union (or attempted fusion) of different systems of thought or belief (especially in religion or philosophy) wordnet
Example
"Syncretism is my religious inclination."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "syncretism"?
Common synonyms include: addition, admixture, affiliation, agglomeration, aggregation, agreement.
How do you use "syncretism" in a sentence?
Syncretism is my religious inclination.
How do you pronounce "syncretism"?
Pronounced /ˈsɪŋkɹəˌtɪzm̩/.
Etymology
From Latin syncretismus, from Ancient Greek συγκρητισμός (sunkrētismós, “federation of Cretan cities”), from συγκρητίζω (sunkrētízō, “to unite against a common enemy”), from σύν (sún, “together”) (see English syn-) + Κρῆτες (Krêtes, “Cretans”). By surface analysis, syn- + Crete + -ism (“Crete joining together”).