Dictionary

suddenism en · NOUN

Etymology

From sudden + -ism.

Meanings

1. A tendency for processes to occur suddenly rather than gradually.
   • Instead of gradualism, a lot of tradition and a little change, we find we have suddenism, no tradition and all change. 1979, Michael Thompson, Rubbish Theory: The Creation and Destruction of Value, 2nd edition, Pluto Books, published 2017, page 222:
   • In regard to our Dog-hole of an Earth, my own Conviction is that the great Law of Nature is "Graduality" & not "Suddenism", & that the Cataclysms which have disturbed our Crust are but the Exceptions which prove the Rule itself— 1864 August 1, G. Chichester Oxenden, “Letter to Charles Darwin”, in The Correspondence of Charles Darwin, Volume 12, Cambridge University Press, published 2001, page 294:
2. The achievement of sudden enlightenment.
   • Unqualified suddenism is as impossible to maintain as unqualified gradualism. 1983, Luis O. Gómez, “The Direct and Gradual Approaches of Zen Master Mahāyāna: Fragments of the Teachings of Mo-ho-yen”, in Robert M. Gimello, Peter N. Gregory, editors, Studies in Ch'an and Hua-yen, University of Hawaii Press, page 96:

Forms

Antonyms

gradualism