occasionalism

C2 Topic:Language & Linguistics

US /əˈkeɪʒənəˌlɪzəm/ UK /əˈkeɪʒənəlɪzəm/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
philosophy: the doctrine that created things do not directly cause events but merely provide occasions on which God produces the corresponding effects

Occasionalism explains the apparent interaction of mind and body as a sequence of divine interventions.
2

noun
linguistics: the formation or use of a word created for a particular occasion

The novelist's one-off compound is an example of occasionalism rather than an established lexical item.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · philosophy: the doctrine... occasional causation

2 noun · linguistics: the formation... nonce formation

Opposites

secondary causation

Word family

Derived forms occasionalist

Related forms causationMalebranchenonce word

Etymology

From occasional + -ism. The metaphysical label refers to an event as the occasion, not the efficient cause, of divine action. Linguistics later used the same formation for a word coined for one occasion.

Topics

Language & Linguistics Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# occasionalism

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əˈkeɪʒənəˌlɪzəm/
**IPA (UK):** /əˈkeɪʒənəlɪzəm/

## Meanings
1. philosophy: the doctrine that created things do not directly cause events but merely provide occasions on which God produces the corresponding effects
2. linguistics: the formation or use of a word created for a particular occasion

## Examples
- Occasionalism explains the apparent interaction of mind and body as a sequence of divine interventions.
- The novelist's one-off compound is an example of occasionalism rather than an established lexical item.

## Synonyms
- occasional causation
- nonce formation

## Antonyms
- secondary causation

## Derived Forms
- occasionalist

## Related Forms
- causation
- Malebranche
- nonce word

## Etymology
From occasional + -ism. The metaphysical label refers to an event as the occasion, not the efficient cause, of divine action. Linguistics later used the same formation for a word coined for one occasion.

## Topics
- Language & Linguistics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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