philosophy

[ fi-los-uh-fee ]

/ fɪˈlɒs ə fi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR philosophy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural phi·los·o·phies.

the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct.

any of the three branches, namely natural philosophy, moral philosophy, and metaphysical philosophy, that are accepted as composing this study.

a particular system of thought based on such study or investigation: the philosophy of Spinoza.

the critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a particular branch of knowledge, especially with a view to improving or reconstituting them: the philosophy of science.

a system of principles for guidance in practical affairs.

an attitude of rationality, patience, composure, and calm in the presence of troubles or annoyances.

Nearby words

philosophical analysis, philosophical anthropology, philosophical logic, philosophism, philosophize, philosophy, philosophy of life, philter, philtre, philtrum, phimosis

Origin of philosophy

1250–1300; Middle English philosophie < Latin philosophia < Greek philosophía. See philo-, -sophy

Related forms

an·ti·phi·los·o·phy, adjective, noun, plural an·ti·phi·los·o·phies.non·phi·los·o·phy, noun, plural non·phi·los·o·phies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for philosophies

Stay: A History of Suicide and the Philosophies Against Itby Jennifer Michael Hecht.
This Week’s Hot Reads: Nov. 18, 2013|Thomas Flynn|November 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Instead they are men, real men, with philosophies, dreams, humor, and deep sadness.
Finding God Behind Bars: A Look at Religion in American Prisons|Joshua DuBois|August 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In fact, their philosophies mean that there will be war of words between the two.
‘Downton Abbey’ Season 3: Julian Fellowes, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, and More|Jace Lacob|January 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
These two philosophies are fracturing organizations at the top of the atheist activism food chain.
The Atheist Recruiting Machine|Lauren Sandler|November 3, 2009|DAILY BEAST

We were children of the middle class, have the same values and philosophies.
Hillary's Secret Weapon|Sandra McElwaine|June 12, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Gard thought he saw some of his own philosophies in caricature.
The Debatable Land|Arthur Colton
All philosophies and all religions—what are they but spiritual Tubes bored through the universe!
Crome Yellow|Aldous Huxley
Neither arts and sciences nor politics and philosophies will save the soul.
Unicorns|James Huneker
In all the philosophies of the world there are undoubtedly contradictions and absurdities.
The Works of Robert G. Ingersoll, Vol. 8 (of 12)|Robert G. Ingersoll
Try though I might, I never could achieve the perfection of this man's contempt for all other philosophies.
A Far Country, Complete|Winston Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for philosophies

philosophy

/ (fɪˈlɒsəfɪ) /

noun plural -phies

the academic discipline concerned with making explicit the nature and significance of ordinary and scientific beliefs and investigating the intelligibility of concepts by means of rational argument concerning their presuppositions, implications, and interrelationships; in particular, the rational investigation of the nature and structure of reality (metaphysics), the resources and limits of knowledge (epistemology), the principles and import of moral judgment (ethics), and the relationship between language and reality (semantics)

the particular doctrines relating to these issues of some specific individual or schoolthe philosophy of Descartes

the critical study of the basic principles and concepts of a disciplinethe philosophy of law

archaic, or literary the investigation of natural phenomena, esp alchemy, astrology, and astronomy

any system of belief, values, or tenets

a personal outlook or viewpoint

serenity of temper

Word Origin for philosophy

C13: from Old French filosofie, from Latin philosophia, from Greek, from philosophos lover of wisdom

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Culture definitions for philosophies

philosophy

A study that attempts to discover the fundamental principles of the sciences, the arts, and the world that the sciences and arts deal with; the word philosophy is from the Greek for “love of wisdom.” Philosophy has many branches that explore principles of specific areas, such as knowledge (epistemology), reasoning (logic), being in general (metaphysics), beauty (aesthetics), and human conduct (ethics).

Different approaches to philosophy are also called philosophies. (See also epicureanism, existentialism, idealism, materialism, nihilism, pragmatism, stoicism, and utilitarianism.)