n.
Pronunciation: ' f ə ŋ (k)-shn ə - ˌ li-z ə m, -sh ə -n ə - ˌ li-
Function: noun
Date: 1914
1 : a late 19th century to early 20th century American school of psychology concerned especially with how the mind functions to adapt the individual to the environment ― compare STRUCTURALISM 1
2 : a philosophy of design (as in architecture) holding that form should be adapted to use, material, and structure
3 : a theory that stresses the interdependence of the patterns and institutions of a society and their interaction in maintaining cultural and social unity
4 : a doctrine or practice that emphasizes practical utility or functional relations
– func · tion · al · ist \ -shn ə -list, -sh ə -n ə -list \ noun
– functionalist or func · tion · al · is · tic \ ˌ f ə n(k)-shn ə - ' lis-tik, -sh ə -n ə - ' lis- \ adjective