pragmatize
Definition
- Verb:
- To represent as real; to rationalize: "pragmatize" means to interpret or present something, especially a mythical or fantastical story, in a practical or realistic manner, making it seem plausible or factual.
- To treat as pragmatic: To make something conform to practical considerations or everyday reality, often by stripping away supernatural or idealistic elements.
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- The author sought to pragmatize the ancient legend, explaining the miracles as natural phenomena. (To present the legend as realistic and rational.)
- Historians often pragmatize mythological accounts to extract possible historical events. (To interpret myths in a practical, evidence-based way.)
Advanced Usage
"to pragmatize a narrative": to adapt a story to make it more believable or grounded in reality.
- The filmmaker decided to pragmatize the fairy tale by setting it in a modern city. (To make the fairy tale seem realistic by changing its context.)
"pragmatizing philosophy": applying pragmatic principles to abstract ideas.
- Philosophers may pragmatize metaphysical concepts by focusing on their practical consequences. (To treat abstract ideas in terms of their real-world effects.)
Variants and Related Words
Pragmatization (n): the process or result of making something pragmatic or realistic.
- The pragmatization of the myth made it more accessible to modern readers. (The act of rendering it practical.)
Pragmatist (n): a person who advocates for practical consequences as the test of truth.
- He is a pragmatist who pragmatizes every theory by asking, "What are its practical results?" (A person who applies pragmatic thinking.)
Synonyms
- Rationalize: to explain or interpret something in a logical, reasonable way.
- Realize: to make something seem real or concrete.
- Demythologize: to remove mythical or legendary elements from a story.
Phrasal Verbs
Related Idioms