Socrates

American  

[sok-ruh-teez] / ˈsɒk rəˌtiz /

noun

1. 469?–399 b.c., Athenian philosopher.

---

Socrates British  

/ ˈsɒkrəˌtiːz /

noun

1. ?470–399 _bc , Athenian philosopher, whose beliefs are known only through the writings of his pupils Plato and Xenophon. He taught that virtue was based on knowledge, which was attained by a dialectical process that took into account many aspects of a stated hypothesis. He was indicted for impiety and corruption of youth (399) and was condemned to death. He refused to flee and died by drinking hemlock

---

Socrates Cultural  

1. An ancient Greek philosopher who was the teacher of Plato.

---

Discover More

Socrates said that an oracle of the gods had pronounced him the wisest of all people, because he knew how little he knew.

When Socrates was an old man, the citizens of Athens (see also Athens) condemned him to death, alleging that he denied the reality of the gods and corrupted the youth of Athens. Socrates calmly drank the poison he was given — hemlock — and died a noble death.

The Socratic method of teaching proceeds by question and answer as opposed to lecture.

Other Word Forms

• anti-Socrates
  adjective
• pro-Socrates
  adjective

Example Sentences

From Socrates to social media, society has always worried about protecting the young.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Catherine Telford Keogh’s “Cradlers” at Socrates raises steel and aluminum high into the air on poles, intersecting constructions that look like fragments from a spaceship’s hull with fossiliferous limestone blocks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

In the humanities and philosophy, figures like Socrates remind us that knowledge begins with recognizing the limits of our understanding.

From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025

The HBO adaptation of Walter Mosley’s novel “Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned” starred Fishburne as Socrates Fortlow, an angry ex-convict trying to deal with life outside prison.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

During the final five minutes of humanities, she says, “Only one week until Socrates week! Are you all ready?”

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King