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Noun: intellectualism  ,in-tu'lek-choo-u,li-zum
  1. (philosophy) the doctrine that knowledge is acquired by reason without resort to experience
    "Plato's philosophy is often associated with intellectualism";
    - rationalism
     
  2. The doctrine that knowledge is derived primarily from pure reason; rationalism
     
  3. Excessive emphasis on abstract or intellectual matters, often at the expense of practical or emotional considerations
    "His intellectualism made him seem detached from everyday concerns"

Derived forms: intellectualisms

Type of: philosophical doctrine, philosophical theory

Encyclopedia: Intellectualism