gestalt
noun
Simple meaning
A configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
guhstahltIPA pronunciation (US)
ɡəstɑlt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts
A collection of physical, biological, psychological or symbolic elements that creates a whole, unified concept or pattern which is other than the sum of its parts due to the relationships between the parts (of a character, personality, entity, or being).
Alternative letter-case form of gestalt.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that it cannot be described merely as a sum of its parts
Used this way, gestalt is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A principle of Gestalt psychology that identifies factors leading to particular forms of perceptual organization.
A principle of Gestalt psychology that identifies factors leading to particular forms of perceptual organization.
A theory of psychology that emphasizes the importance of configurational properties.
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.