the philosophical theory that the variety of objects to which a single general word, such as dog, applies have nothing in common but the name
Compare conceptualism, realism
Derived forms
nominalist (ˈnominalist)
noun, adjective
nominalistic (ˌnominalˈistic)
adjective
nominalism in American English
(ˈnɑmɪnəlˌɪzəm)
noun
a philosophical doctrine of the late Middle Ages that all universal or abstract terms are mere necessities of thought or conveniences of language and therefore exist as names only with no ideal realities corresponding to them