hiˈstȯrəˌsizəm, -tär- noun
( -s )
1.
a. : a theory that all sociocultural phenomena are historically determined, that all truths are relative, that there are no absolute values, categories, or standards, and that the student of the past must enter into the mind and attitudes of past periods, accept their point of view, and avoid all intrusion of his own standards or preconceptions
b. : the practice of writing or treating history in accordance with such a theory
c. : a theory of history holding that the development of human society is a process governed by inexorable laws of change operating independently of human wills or wishes
2.
a. : a strong or exaggerated concern with or respect for the institutions and traditions of the past
stands for historicism and empiricism in the tradition of Burke — Times Literary Supplement
b. : the use of or undue reliance upon historical forms or styles in art especially in architectural design