descriptivism
nounEtymology From descriptive + -ism. * Audio (Southern England): (file)
1
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences Usually The practice of describing realistic forms, as opposed to prescribing idealistic norms, of linguistic usage.
- Antonyms
- prescriptivism
- Derived terms
- antidescriptivism, descriptivist
- Related terms
- descriptive, description, realism, idealism, formalism, descriptive grammar