Nominalism, coming from the Latin word nominalis meaning "of or pertaining to names", is the ontological theory that reality is only made up of particular items. It denies the real existence of any general entities such as properties, species, universals, sets, or other categories.

What does nominalism mean and what does it teach?

1 : a theory that there are no universal essences in reality and that the mind can frame no single concept or image corresponding to any universal or general term. 2 : the theory that only individuals and no abstract entities (such as essences, classes, or propositions) exist — compare essentialism, realism.

Why is nominalism important?

Nominalism is the philosophical position that promotes that universal or abstract concepts do not exist in the same way as physical, tangible material. A debate that heavily influenced multiple areas of study throughout the Middle Ages, it was of specific importance for theological scholars.