Descartes

American  

[dey-kahrt, dey-kart] / deɪˈkɑrt, deɪˈkart /

noun

1. René 1596–1650, French philosopher and mathematician.

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Descartes British  

/ ˈdeɪˌkɑːt, dekart /

noun

1. René (rəne). 1596–1650, French philosopher and mathematician. He provided a mechanistic basis for the philosophical theory of dualism and is regarded as the founder of modern philosophy. He also founded analytical geometry and contributed greatly to the science of optics. His works include Discours de la méthode (1637), Meditationes de Prima Philosophia (1641), and Principia Philosophiae (1644)

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Descartes Scientific  

/ dā-kärt′ /

1. French mathematician and philosopher who discovered that the position of a point can be determined by coordinates, a discovery that laid the foundation for analytic geometry.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Descartes

He also says Descartes called out strength in trade intelligence, freight visibility and customs filings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 13, 2026

Let’s give the last word, plus one of mine, to the famous phrase of French philosopher and scientist Rene Descartes: “Cogito ergo sum ridens” — “I think, therefore I am laughing.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2025

In 1641, French philosopher René Descartes, writing his famous “Meditations on First Philosophy,” observed that a mind is fundamentally different from the body which contains it.

From Salon ● Nov. 10, 2024

An early effort came in the 17th century, by the French philosopher René Descartes who said: "I think therefore I am."

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2024

Thus Descartes opted for the least common phrase available to him in French as a translation for lex naturae in order to give his phrase a precise reference to scientific laws, not moral ones.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton