presentness
Definition
Noun: 1. The quality or state of being the present; the fact of existing or occurring now. It refers to the temporal characteristic of immediacy, of belonging to the current moment in time, as opposed to the past or the future.
Usage
The word "presentness" is a formal and somewhat abstract noun used primarily in academic, philosophical, or literary contexts to discuss the nature of time, perception, and existence. It describes the temporal attribute of something that is current or immediate.
Examples
- The philosopher contemplated the elusive presentness of human experience.
- Her photography aims to capture the presentness of urban life, its fleeting moments and immediate sensations.
- The study explores the presentness of historical trauma in contemporary society.
Advanced Usage
- In philosophical discourse: "Presentness" is often contrasted with "pastness" and "futurity" in discussions about the phenomenology of time.
- Example: The debate centers on whether the presentness of a conscious event is a fundamental property or a cognitive construct.
- In art criticism: The term can describe an artwork's ability to evoke a feeling of immediacy or "being in the moment."
- Example: The brushstrokes convey a remarkable sense of presentness, as if the scene is unfolding before our eyes.
Variants and Related Words
- Present (adj.): Existing or occurring now.
- Presently (adv.): At the present time; soon.
- Presentism (n.): A mode of historical analysis that judges past events by contemporary standards, or a philosophical belief that only present things exist.
- Immediacy (n.): The quality of being immediate, which is a close synonym often used in similar contexts.
- Pastness (n.): The quality of being the past. (As seen in the reference context: "a study of the pastness of the present and... of the presentness of the past").
Synonyms
- Immediacy
- Nowness
- Currentness
- Contemporaneity
Antonyms
- Pastness
- Futurity
- Remoteness (in time)
Noun
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the quality of being the present
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a study of the pastness of the present and...of the presentness of the past- R.E.Spiller
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