philosopher

noun

phi·​los·​o·​pher fə-ˈlä-s(ə-)fər How to pronounce philosopher (audio)
1
a
: a person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment : scholar, thinker
b
: a student of philosophy
2
a
: a person whose philosophical perspective makes meeting trouble with equanimity easier
b
: an expounder of a theory in a particular area of experience
c
: one who philosophizes

Examples of philosopher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The German philosopher Martin Heidegger investigates this power in his book Discourse on Thinking. Theodore McDarrah, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 And even though these worlds may be so alien that many of us might be tempted to write them off, there’s no explanation for our universe, no matter how sober, that isn’t unfathomably weird, as philosopher Eric Schwitzgebel writes in his book, The Weirdness of the World. Oshan Jarow, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024 As philosopher George Santayana reminds us, those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Josh Becker, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024 To detail how this may be done, Heidegger begins as any good philosopher would, with a distinction. Theodore McDarrah, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for philosopher 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English philosophe, philosophre, from Anglo-French, from Latin philosophus, from Greek philosophos, from phil- + sophia wisdom, from sophos wise

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of philosopher was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near philosopher

Cite this Entry

“Philosopher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosopher. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

philosopher

noun
phi·​los·​o·​pher fə-ˈläs-(ə-)fər How to pronounce philosopher (audio)
1
a
: a person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment : scholar, thinker
b
: a student of philosophy
2
: a person who is calm and patient when faced with trouble
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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