wittgensteinian means of or pertaining to the person or ideas of Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian-born twentieth-century philosopher noted for the idea of "family resemblance" as that which individual objects of a sense of a term have in common. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 84 out of 100.
Why “wittgensteinian” is a great word
WITTGENSTEINIAN — [Adjective / Noun] Pertaining to the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein, especially his later thought on language as use, meaning as context-dependent, and concepts united by family resemblance. An adherent of these principles. From the surname Wittgenstein (of Ludwig Wittgenstein) + the English suffix -ian (forming adjectives and nouns meaning 'pertaining to' or 'adherent of'). Unlike analytic (which broadly pursues logical dissection) or essentialist (which seeks a single defining core), Wittgensteinian thought is a descriptive therapy that dissolves philosophical puzzles by showing language at work. It is the recognition that the word 'game' binds chess to ring-a-ring-a-roses; the patient tracing of threads in a rope where no single fibre runs its whole length; the quiet act of showing the fly the way out of the bottle—a philosophy that aims not to build systems, but to return us to the rough ground where our words actually live.
Etymology
From Wittgenstein + -ian.
adj
- Of or pertaining to the person or ideas of Ludwig Wittgenstein, an Austrian-born twentieth-century philosopher noted for the idea of "family resemblance" as that which individual objects of a sense of a term have in common.
noun
- One who believes or follows the principles of Ludwig Wittgenstein.