Relating to the philosophical view that knowledge and mental processes come from combining simple sensations and ideas through association.
From 'associationism' (philosophy movement from 18th-19th centuries) + '-istic' suffix. Associationism evolved from empiricist philosophy, particularly David Hume's ideas about how the mind links experiences together.
This word represents a major shift in how scientists thought about the brain—instead of ideas being innate, associationism said your mind builds understanding by linking experiences together, kind of like how your brain remembers that the smell of popcorn goes with movie night.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.