functionalism.

1. An approach that interprets social practices or structures through the functions they serve.

2. A design approach that gives priority to use and function rather than ornament.

3. The view that mental states are identified by their causal roles rather than a particular physical material.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• sociological functionalism
• functionalist explanation

On the page

Functionalism interprets the ritual in terms of social cohesion.

Usage notes

Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: analysis, explanation. Commonness: moderately common.