chosisme: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very Low (Specialist/Lexical)Specialist, Academic, Art/Literary Criticism
Quick answer
What does “chosisme” mean?
A term describing a radical school of thought or art movement that prioritizes the concrete object (la chose) and immediate physical reality over subjective interpretation, symbolism, or narrative.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A term describing a radical school of thought or art movement that prioritizes the concrete object (la chose) and immediate physical reality over subjective interpretation, symbolism, or narrative.
In broader critical use, it can denote any philosophical, literary, or artistic approach characterized by an extreme focus on the materiality and objective existence of things, rejecting psychological depth or metaphysical meaning.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in usage or preference; the term is equally rare and specialist in both varieties. Spelling follows the original French.
Connotations
Connotes high-level academic analysis, specific art-historical referencing (mid-20th century French literature). May sound pretentious if used outside its proper context.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both. Almost exclusively found in scholarly texts on literary theory or art history.
Grammar
How to Use “chosisme” in a Sentence
The [author's/movement's] chosismechosisme in [noun phrase, e.g., Robbe-Grillet's novels]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chosisme” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- [No standard verb form exists]
American English
- [No standard verb form exists]
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb form exists]
American English
- [No standard adverb form exists]
adjective
British English
- The novelist's chosiste descriptions render the room with clinical precision.
American English
- Her chosiste approach to still-life painting eliminated any trace of sentiment.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
[Not applicable]
Academic
Used in literary criticism and art history to categorize a specific stylistic or philosophical tendency, e.g., 'Her thesis explores the chosisme of the early Nouveau Roman.'
Everyday
[Virtually never used]
Technical
A precise classificatory term within the technical vocabulary of humanities scholarship.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “chosisme”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “chosisme”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chosisme”
- Using it to describe a personal preference for objects over people (semantic drift error).
- Pronouncing it with a hard 'ch' /tʃ/ instead of the French soft 'ch' /ʃ/.
- Capitalizing it as if it were a proper noun (it is not).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is a lexicalised borrowing from French used in English-language academic discourse, primarily in literary and art criticism. It is not found in general dictionaries but appears in specialised scholarly works.
The main idea is to eliminate subjective human perspective and focus purely on the objective, external reality of objects and surfaces, rejecting symbolic or psychological interpretation.
It is most closely associated with French novelist and theorist Alain Robbe-Grillet and the Nouveau Roman (New Novel) movement of the 1950s and 60s.
It would be highly unusual and likely confusing. The term is reserved for specific academic or critical discussions about art and literature.
A term describing a radical school of thought or art movement that prioritizes the concrete object (la chose) and immediate physical reality over subjective interpretation, symbolism, or narrative.
Chosisme is usually specialist, academic, art/literary criticism in register.
Chosisme: in British English it is pronounced /ʃɒˈzɪzm/, and in American English it is pronounced /ʃoʊˈzɪzm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not applicable for this highly specialist term]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'CHOSisme' as 'CHOSe the object' – it's the doctrine that chooses to focus solely on the thing itself.
Conceptual Metaphor
LANGUAGE/WRITING/ART IS A WINDOW (a perfectly clear one that only shows objects, not meanings).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'chosisme' most accurately used?