philosophe

[ fil-uh-sof, fil-uh-zof; French fee-law-zawf ]

/ ˈfɪl əˌsɒf, ˌfɪl əˈzɒf; French fi lɔˈzɔf /

any of the popular French intellectuals or social philosophers of the 18th century, as Diderot, Rousseau, or Voltaire.

a philosophaster.

QUIZZES

It’d be a real faux pas to miss this quiz on the words from August 3–9, 2020!

Question 1 of 7

What does “vacillate” mean?

Borrowed into English from French around 1770–80

"I desire to know nothing of those who knew nothing," was the saying, in reference to them, of the French philosophe.
The Atlantic Monthly, Vol. 12, No. 74, December, 1863|Various
During our stay of about a week at Philosophe the village was quiet.
Q.6.a and Other places|Francis Buckley
The advent of the brilliant couple from Cirey, it need not be stated, added further strength to the philosophe party.
Odd Bits of History|Henry W. Wolff
Besides the general objection that it was the theorizing of a philosophe, exception was taken to particular parts of the argument.
A History of Epidemics in Britain (Volume I of II)|Charles Creighton

Such are the memorable quarrel of the Ancients and the Moderns, and the philosophe idea of perfectibility and human progress.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, June 1899|Various