philosophize
Americanverb (used without object)
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to speculate or theorize, usually in a superficial or imprecise manner.
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to think or reason as a philosopher.
verb
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(intr) to make philosophical pronouncements and speculations
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(tr) to explain philosophically
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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philosophizesimple
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philosophizessimple
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have philosophizedperfect
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has philosophizedperfect
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am philosophizingprogressive
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are philosophizingprogressive
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is philosophizingprogressive
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have been philosophizingperfect progressive
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has been philosophizingperfect progressive
Past
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philosophizedsimple
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had philosophizedperfect
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was philosophizingprogressive
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were philosophizingprogressive
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had been philosophizingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of philosophize
First recorded in 1585–95; philosoph(y) + -ize
Explanation
To philosophize is to think philosophically or just deeply and reflectively. On a long car trip, after you run out of school gossip, you and your friends might philosophize on the nature of man, or the question "What is beauty?" To philosophize is not exactly the same thing as doing philosophy. Often if we say someone is philosophizing, we are kind of making fun of him, as if all of the sudden he thinks he’s Socrates, but really he’s just parroting Dr. Phil. If you stop driving in the middle of the road to tell your friend a revelation you’ve just had about the nature of suburban society, she might say, “Stop philosophizing and drive!”
Vocabulary lists containing philosophize
Life Is So Good
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Rick
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while I may not take the time to philosophize about my salvation on Sunday, I’m certain I’ll think of her and what my being there would mean to her.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2024
After Hal and Josie’s meet-cute, they see sights blandly, philosophize blandly, blandly tiptoe around the notion of romance, and criticize each other — yes, blandly, but with an occasional touch of “salty” language.
From New York Times • Oct. 27, 2022
Many of the thinkers he surveys, from Lao Tzu and Aristotle to Montaigne and Spinoza, have tried to philosophize their way to tranquility, but no one has quite succeeded.
From Washington Post • Nov. 24, 2020
“To philosophize is to learn to die,” observed Montaigne.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2019
Why in the world would she philosophize about the finish line?
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
