intellectualism: Meaning and Definition of

in•tel•lec•tu•al•ism

Pronunciation: (in"tl-ek'ch-u-liz"um), [key]
— n.
  1. devotion to intellectual pursuits.
  2. the exercise of the intellect.
  3. excessive emphasis on abstract or intellectual matters, esp. with a lack of proper consideration for emotions.
    1. the doctrine that knowledge is wholly or chiefly derived from pure reason.
    2. the belief that reason is the final principle of reality.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.