Cartesian
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
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of or relating to the works of René Descartes
-
of, relating to, or used in Descartes' mathematical system
Cartesian coordinates
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of, relating to, or derived from Descartes' philosophy, esp his contentions that personal identity consists in the continued existence of a unique mind and that the mind and body are connected causally See also dualism
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Cartesian
1650–60; < New Latin Cartesiānus, equivalent to Cartesi ( us ) (Latinization of Descartes ) + -ānus -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.
In 2012, it entered into a joint-venture deal with private-equity firms Cartesian Capital Group and TFI Asia Holdings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
Even if crabs can't mastery Cartesian metaphysics, "the evidence for pain, anxiety, and other feelings in decapods is much more compelling."
From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2023
A sense of French Cartesian order thrums through the house.
From New York Times ● Dec. 23, 2022
The technical term for each cherry red form is an orthotope, defined as “the Cartesian product of orthogonal intervals known as a hyperrectangle, sometimes called a parallelotope.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2022
Thus the Cartesian distinction between mind and matter turned out to be less sharp and decisive than at first it had seemed.
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.
