philosophe
[fil-uh-sof, fil-uh-zof; French fee-law-zawf]
- any of the popular French intellectuals or social philosophers of the 18th century, as Diderot, Rousseau, or Voltaire.
- a philosophaster.
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Origin of philosophe
Borrowed into English from French around 1770–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for philosophe
Historical Examples
During our stay of about a week at Philosophe the village was quiet.
Q.6.a and Other placesFrancis Buckley
However, the philosophe was once more out of favour with Louis XV.
Odd Bits of HistoryHenry W. Wolff
But neither of them can in the least be called a philosophe.
A Short History of French LiteratureGeorge Saintsbury
She politely asks him whether he is not a philosophe, and whether philosophy is not a very beautiful thing?
A History of the French Novel, Vol. 1George Saintsbury
"I desire to know nothing of those who knew nothing," was the saying, in reference to them, of the French philosophe.
Word Origin and History for philosophe
n.
"Enlightenment rationalist and skeptic," especially in reference to any of the French Encyclopædists, often disparaging (when used by believers), 1774, from French philosophe, literally "philosopher" (see philosopher). Usually italicized in English, but nativized by Peter Gay ("The Enlightenment," 1966) and others. Also philosophist (1798).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper