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Webster 1913 Edition


Occasionalism

Oc-ca′sion-al-ism

,
Noun.
(Metaph.)
The system of occasional causes; – a name given to certain theories of the Cartesian school of philosophers, as to the intervention of the First Cause, by which they account for the apparent reciprocal action of the soul and the body.

Definition 2024


occasionalism

occasionalism

English

Noun

occasionalism (countable and uncountable, plural occasionalisms)

  1. (philosophy, uncountable) A metaphysical doctrine that holds that all events are occasioned (caused) by God himself
  2. (linguistics, countable) A nonce word.
    • 2010, Martin Haspelmath and Andrea D. Sims, Understanding Morphology, second edition, page 130:
      This measure stems from the observation that productive morphological rules are likely to produce occasionalisms, whereas unproductive rules are not likely to do so. Occasionalisms are thus particularly important for determining productivity.