functionalism

noun

Compounds

Combines

Forms

  • singular : functionalism
  • plural : functionalisms

Senses

  • a philosophy of design (as in architecture) holding that form should be adapted to use, material, and structure
  • a late 19th century to early 20th century American school of psychology concerned especially with how the mind functions to adapt the individual to the environment
  • a theory that stresses the interdependence of the patterns and institutions of a society and their interaction in maintaining cultural and social unity
  • a doctrine or practice that emphasizes practical utility or functional relations