mechanicalistn.
Origin: Formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: mechanical adj., -ist suffix.
Etymology: < mechanical adj. + -ist suffix. Compare earlier mechanist n. 2.
the world > matter > physics > [noun] > a doctrine of physical phenomena > one holding > holding mechanical theory
1878 T. Sinclair 71 A mechanicalist would put one's thoughts very quickly into his shape, no doubt.
1927 24 327 I wonder if every science may not be said to have within its region and context both its..mechanicalists and its mystics.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).