Cyrenaic
Americanadjective
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of or relating to Cyrenaica, or its chief city, Cyrene.
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noting or pertaining to a school of philosophy founded by Aristippus of Cyrene, who taught that pleasure is the only rational aim of life.
noun
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a native or inhabitant of Cyrenaica.
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a disciple of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy.
adjective
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(in the ancient world) of or relating to the city of Cyrene or the territory of Cyrenaica
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of or relating to the philosophical school founded by the Greek philosopher Aristippus (?435–?356 bc ) in Cyrene that held pleasure to be the highest good
noun
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an inhabitant of Cyrene or Cyrenaica
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a follower of the Cyrenaic school of philosophy
Etymology
Origin of Cyrenaic
1580–90; < Latin C ȳrēnaicus < Greek Kȳrēnnaïkós, equivalent to Kȳrēna- (combining form of Kȳrḗnē Cyrene ) + -ikos -ic
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 Cyrenaic ideal was, of course, utterly alien to Christianity, and, in general, subsequent thinkers found it an ideal of hopeless pessimism.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 8 "Cube" to "Daguerre, Louis" by Various
The Cyrenaic ideal of the wise man is the man of the world, bent indeed solely upon pleasure, restrained by no superstitious scruples, yet pursuing his end with prudence, foresight, and intelligence.
From A Critical History of Greek Philosophy by Stace, W. T. (Walter Terence)
He maintains further, in opposition to most of the Cyrenaic school, that wisdom or prudence alone is an insufficient guarantee against error.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 2 "Anjar" to "Apollo" by Various
It is not, however, in this, which is only the old Cyrenaic or Epicurean answer, that the distinctive point of Hobbism lies.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7 "Equation" to "Ethics" by Various
Some have accounted pleasure the chief good; the chief of whom was Aristippus, who had been a pupil of Socrates, and from whom the Cyrenaic school spring.
From The Academic Questions, Treatise De Finibus, and Tusculan Disputations, of M.T. Cicero, With a Sketch of the Greek Philosophers Mentioned by Cicero by Yonge, Charles Duke
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.
