Schopenhauer

American  

[shoh-puhn-hou-er, shoh-puhn-hou-uhr] / ˈʃoʊ pənˌhaʊ ər, ˈʃoʊ pənˌhaʊ ər /

noun

1. Arthur 1788–1860, German philosopher.

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Schopenhauer British  

/ ˈʃoːpənhauər, ˌʃəʊpənˈhaʊərɪən /

noun

1. Arthur (ˈartʊr). 1788–1860, German pessimist philosopher. In his chief work, The World as Will and Idea (1819), he expounded the view that will is the creative primary factor and idea the secondary receptive factor

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Other Word Forms

• Schopenhauerian adjective
• Schopenhauerism noun

Example Sentences

Our optimism remains real, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need regular Schopenhauer reality checks.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

On what philosopher she thinks of when she thinks of pasta: Maybe Schopenhauer … yes, probably him.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2023

And in between big block quotes of Seneca, Socrates, Schopenhauer and many more, that’s exactly what he does, in unsettling bursts.

From New York Times • Mar. 26, 2023

Reason, as Schopenhauer puts it, echoing Hume, is the hard-pressed servant of the will.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2020

Schopenhauer, Kant, Nietzsche, naturally, I read all of those.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey