philosopher
nounUK /fɪˈlɒs.ə.fə(ɹ)/ · US /fəˈlɑsəfɚ/
Etymology From Middle English philosophre, from Anglo-Norman or Middle French philosophe, from Latin philosophus, from Ancient Greek φιλόσοφος (philósophos, literally “lover of wisdom”) + -er. Credited as having been coined by Pythagoras to describe himself. Displaced native Old English ūþwita.
A lover of wisdom.
A student of philosophy.
A scholar or expert engaged in or contributing to philosophical inquiry.
- Not much later—perhaps only two or three weeks later he has discovered meaning in them; he knows that they say "The cat sat on the hat." How this happens no one really knows, despite the efforts of philosophers and psychologists over two and a half millennia to study the phenomenon.1972, Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren, How to Read a Book, →ISBN, →LCCN, page 25:
- Their playwrights knew better. Scandal, murder, hair-rending and railing against the gods sold tickets. King is not a philosopher. He knows how to sell tickets.2007, Harold Bloom, Bloom's Modern Critical Views: Stephen King:
Archaic A person who applies the principles of philosophy to the conduct of their life, as by acting calmly and rationally in the face of inevitable change.
- Then certaine Philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoikes, encountred him1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Acts 17:18:
- This is not the sort of happiness which a man would in general wish to owe to his wife; but where other powers of entertainment are wanting, the true philosopher will derive benefit from such as are given.1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], Pride and Prejudice: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
Archaic A student, scholar, or expert in any branch of knowledge, especially those branches studied prior to being considered part of pure science.
Obsolete An alchemist.
- Then thus conclude I, since that God of heaven Will not that these philosophers neven How that a man shall come unto this stone, I rede as for the best to let it gon.1813, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: The Canon's Yeoman's Tale:
- No further progress was made in this science until the Mohammedan alchemists embarked upon their search for the philosopher's stone, the elixir of life, and a method of transmuting base metals into gold.1945, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy:
- Synonyms
- philosopher
- Derived terms
30 terms
analytic philosopher, antiphilosopher, biophilosopher, cyberphilosopher, ecophilosopher, ethnophilosopher, fire philosopher, foolosopher, geophilosopher, macaroni philosopher, metaphilosopher, natural philosopher, neurophilosopher, nonphilosopher, philosopher by fire, philosopheress, philosopher king, philosopher-king, philosopher of fire, philosopher's game, philosophership, philosopher's lamp, philosopher's stone, philosophers' stone, philosopher's wool, philosophess, philosophress, pseudophilosopher, theophilosopher, unphilosopher- Related terms
- misosopher, philosophaster, philosophe, philosophical, philosophical method, philosophicide, philosophizer, philosophy, scholar, thinker, reasoner, arguer, rhetorician, sophist, scientist, author, writer, reason, abstraction, generality, Appendix:Roget MICRA thesaurus/Class IV § 492. Scholar, Appendix:Moby Thesaurus II/62 § philosopher, Appendix:Glossary of philosophical isms
- Hypernyms
- person