Aristotelian
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
-
of or relating to Aristotle or his philosophy
-
(of a philosophical position) derived from that of Aristotle, or incorporating such of his major doctrines as the distinctions between matter and form, and substance and accident, or the primacy of individuals over universals
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Aristotelian
1600–10; < Latin Aristotelī ( us ) < Greek Aristotéleios of Aristotle + -an
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The work suggests Dante recognized meteors as real geological forces at a time when Aristotelian beliefs still portrayed the heavens as perfect and unchanging.
From Science Daily ● May 11, 2026
Stafford Hopkins, the protagonist of Patricia Flynn’s debut novel, has made the climb from a rural Canadian childhood to the peak of Hollywood success, thanks in part to his love of Aristotelian philosophy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
Venn gave us a simple, turn-the-crank means of clearly seeing why the 15 forms of the Aristotelian syllogism – and only those 15 forms – are valid.
From Salon ● Jul. 29, 2024
“Whatever those Aristotelian time-place things are; it’s kind of a big gulp. For this one, the idea of a full two-act opera was interesting to me.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
In the Aristotelian universe the earth had been the recipient of light but had given no light.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
