1803, in reference to Kant, later to Schelling; 1842 in reference to the New England religio-philosophical movement among American followers of German writers; from transcendental + -ism.
Entries linking to transcendentalism
transcendental adj.
1660s, from Medieval Latin transcendentalis, from Latin transcendentem (see transcendent). Related: Transcendentally. Transcendental meditation attested by 1966.
-ism
word-forming element making nouns implying a practice, system, doctrine, etc., from French -isme or directly from Latin -isma, -ismus (source also of Italian, Spanish -ismo, Dutch, German -ismus), from Greek -ismos, noun ending signifying the practice or teaching of a thing, from the stem of verbs in -izein, a verb-forming element denoting the doing of the noun or adjective to which it is attached. For distinction of use, see -ity. The related Greek suffix -isma(t)- affects some forms.