pragmatist

Plural: pragmatists

Noun

• an adherent of philosophical pragmatism
• a person who takes a practical approach to problems and is concerned primarily with the success or failure of her actions
• One who acts in a practical or straightforward manner; one who is pragmatic; one who values practicality or pragmatism.
• One who acts in response to particular situations rather than upon abstract ideals; one who is willing to ignore their ideals to accomplish goals.
• One who belongs to the philosophic school of pragmatism; one who holds that the meaning of beliefs is the actions they entail, and that the truth of those beliefs consists in the actions they entail, successfully leading a believer to their goals.
• An advocate of pragmatism.
• One who studies pragmatics.

Adj

• Advocating pragmatism.

Examples

• A pragmatist would never plant such a messy tree, but I like its flowers.
• I'm not a thief, I am a pragmatist. I need this bread to feed my family.
• We cannot trust him not to lie for his own gain: he's an opportunist and a pragmatist.

Synonyms

pragmatician

Related Words

pragma, pragmatically, pragmatics, pragmatism