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

In the 17th century, René Descartes connected the idea of the self to consciousness when he famously stated, “I think, therefore I am.”

From Salon ● May 26, 2025

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

Aristotle believed that animals and humans share similar emotions while Descartes argued that animals were more like machines, lacking the capacity for emotions or consciousness.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 14, 2024

Like the ancients, Descartes assumed that nothing, not even knowledge, can be created out of nothing, which means that all ideas—all philosophies, all notions, all future discoveries—already exist in people’s brains when they are born.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife