philosopher

CEFRB1

/fɪˈlɒs.ə.fə(ɹ)/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A person who studies or develops ideas about knowledge and life.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A scholar or expert engaged in or contributing to philosophical inquiry.

Examples

  • Russell was a brilliant philosopher, but even the simplest practical task was quite beyond him.

  • We studied the writings of the Greek philosopher Aristotle.

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A student of philosophy.

  2. A lover of wisdom.

  3. 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.

More examples

In context

  • You're a philosopher, aren't you?

  • 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.

  • Then certaine Philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoikes, encountred him

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The ancient Greek blank spent his days thinking about the nature of reality and ethics.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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.