Words / M / General

monism

/ˈmɒnɪzəm/

C2CEFR level
90/100Rarity: very rare
TechnicalRegister

General noun

The doctrine that reality consists ultimately of a single kind of substance or principle.

Against dualism, monism holds that mind and matter are two aspects of one underlying reality.

Similar: unism, singularism

Origin: Greek 'monos' single, alone.

Topic: metaphysics in General English

Law noun

The constitutional theory that international law automatically forms part of domestic law without separate incorporation.

In a monist system, a ratified treaty may be relied on directly before the national courts.

Topic: Constitutional & public in Legal English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: metaphysics