sciolism
nounUK /ˈsaɪ.ə.lɪ.z(ə)m/ · US /ˈsaɪ.əˌlɪ.z(ə)m/
Etymology
From Late Latin sciolus (“sciolist”) + English -ism (suffix forming the names of tendencies of action, behaviour, condition, opinion, or state belonging to classes or groups of persons), based on sciolist. Sciolus is a diminutive of Latin scius (“cognizant, knowing”) + -olus (variant of -ulus (suffix forming diminutives)); while scius is either from sciō (“to be able to; to have practical knowledge, know (how to do something); to understand”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *skey- (“to dissect; to split”)), or is a back-formation from nescius (“ignorant, unaware; unknowing”) (from nesciō (“to be ignorant, not know, not understand; to be unable”), from ne- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + sciō).
Dated, Derogatory The practice of expressing opinions on something which one knows only superficially or has little real understanding of; also, shallow or superficial knowledge; (countable) an instance of this.
- Indeed, I ſometimes incline to hope that infidelity is arrived at its higheſt pitch, and that ſcioliſm may advance into found knowledge and ſaving faith […].[1795], “Remarks on Mrs. Macaulay Graham’s Letters on Education”, in Literary and Critical Remarks […], London: […] B. Crosby, […], →OCLC, part II, pages 314–315:
- Here are painted, the miſchiefs of the multiplication of political Scioliſts, and the progreſs of political Scioliſm; the decay of profound knowledge, the perverſion of what we retain, and the decline of religion.1798 March, “Art. II.—Two Letters on the Conduct of Our Domestic Parties, with Regard to French Politics; including Observations on the Conduct of the Minority, in the Session of 1793. By the Late Right Hon. Edmund Burke. 8vo. 199 pp. 3s. Rivingtons, and Hatchard, Piccadilly. 1797. [book review]”, in British Critic, volume XI, London: […] F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […], →OCLC, page 245:
4 more examples
- [T]he crude paralogiſms of a vitiated metaphyſics, ſetting themſelves in oppoſition to the very poſtulates of all geometry, the truth of which we recognize by intuition, may pretend, that motion is a principle foreign to the nature of the ſubject; we are not to rank theſe ſcioliſms among the things which the rigour of the most exact reaſoning requires.1800, “Art. XV. Lettre, &c.”, in Anti-Jacobin Review, volume VI, London: […] T. Crowder, […], →OCLC, pages 526–527:
- The contempt […] is not accidental, nor yet altogether owing to that epidemic of a proud ignorance occasioned by a diffused sciolism, which gave a sickly and hectic shewiness to the latter half of the last century.1816, S[amuel] T[aylor] Coleridge, “[Appendix, Containing Comments and Essays.] Appendix D.”, in The Statesman’s Manual; or The Bible the Best Guide to Political Skill and Foresight: […], London: […] [S. Curtis] for Gale and Fenner, […]; J. M. Richardson, […]; and Hatchard, […], →OCLC, page xxxi:
- And after all, should it be proved that Unitarian writers of the present generation are sciolists, it will not follow that their principles deserve the opprobrious name of sciolism.1823, C[harles] Wellbeloved, Three Letters […], 2nd edition, York, Yorkshire: […] Thomas Wilson and Sons, […], →OCLC, page 11:
- There is no sciolism now which is more dangerous than that which is so very careful to inform us of its entire freedom from all that is superficial […].1838 November, “Art VIII.—Who are the True Conservatives?”, in The Quarterly Christian Spectator, volume X, number IV, New Haven, Conn.: […] Hezekiah Howe, […], →OCLC, page 608:
- Related terms
- sciolist, sciolistic, sciolistical, sciolistically, sciolous, sciolus, jack of all trades