thing-in-itself
noun
Simple meaning
A thing as it is independent of any conceptualization or perception by the human mind.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
thingihnihtsehlfSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈθɪŋɪnɪtˈsɛlf
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
from Kantian philosophy on
A thing as it is independent of any conceptualization or perception by the human mind, postulated by practical reason but existing in a condition which is in principle unknowable and unexperienceable.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (from Kantian philosophy on) A thing as it is independent of any conceptualization or perception by the human mind, postulated by practical reason but existing in a condition which is in principle unknowable and unexperienceable.
Used this way, thing-in-itself is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in academic writing and ethics or values contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Academic writing
- Ethics/values
Nearby words
- noumenon , rarer, so it draws attention
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: thing as it is independent of any conceptualization
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