philosopher

American  

[fi-los-uh-fer] / fɪˈlɒs ə fər /

noun

philosophers plural

1. a person who offers views or theories on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields.

2. a person who is deeply versed in philosophy.

3. a person who establishes the central ideas of some movement, cult, etc.

4. a person who regulates their life, actions, judgments, utterances, etc., by the light of philosophy or reason.

5. a person who is rationally or sensibly calm, especially under trying circumstances.

6. Obsolete. an alchemist or occult scientist.

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philosopher British  

/ fɪˈlɒsəfə /

noun

1. a student, teacher, or devotee of philosophy

2. a person of philosophical temperament, esp one who is patient, wise, and stoical

3. (formerly) an alchemist or devotee of occult science

4. a person who establishes the ideology of a cult or movement

   the philosopher of the revolution

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philosopher Cultural  

1. Someone who engages in philosophy. Some examples of philosophers are Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Plato.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• philosophership
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• philosophers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of philosopher

First recorded before 900; Middle English, variant of philosophre from Anglo-French ( Middle French philosophe, from Latin philosophus ); replacing Old English philosoph, from Latin philosophus, from Greek philósophos “philosopher,” equivalent to philo- philo- + soph(ía) “wisdom” ( see -sophy) + -os noun suffix

Explanation

A philosopher is someone engaged in the study of philosophy. Have you ever wondered about the meaning of life? This is the type of weighty question a philosopher tackles. In ancient Greek, the word philosopho meant a “lover of wisdom.” Thales of Miletus, who lived in the 7th century B.C., generally gets credit for being the first western philosopher, though he is much less well known than Socrates, Plato or Aristotle. René Descartes, famous for his declaration, “I think, therefore I am,” is considered the first modern philosopher, though he lived in the 17th century.

Example Sentences

As birthday advice to America, they would no doubt endorse the words of famed American philosopher Clint Eastwood: “Improvise, adapt, and overcome.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 3, 2026

Lee, who saw himself not only as an actor but also as a poet and philosopher, encountered repeated barriers.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 3, 2026

This English philosopher, a former resident of the town, is seen by scholars as one of the US Founding Fathers on account of a pamphlet he penned in 1776 that argued for the cause.

From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026

And in early March, he paid tribute to the philosopher and to "The Mother", who he said brought "a new spiritual vision to the entire world".

From Barron's • Jun. 25, 2026

“How small a thought it takes to fill someone’s whole life,” the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Related Words

• theorist