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Synonyms

Socratic

American  
[suh-krat-ik, soh-] / səˈkræt ɪk, soʊ- /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Socrates or his philosophy, followers, etc., or to the Socratic method.


noun

  1. a follower of Socrates.

  2. any of the Greek philosophers influenced by Socrates.

Socratic British  
/ sɒˈkrætɪk, ˈsɒkrətɪst /

adjective

  1. of or relating to Socrates, his methods, etc

"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

noun

  1. a person who follows the teachings of Socrates

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of Socratic

1630–40; < Latin Sōcraticus < Greek Sōkratikós of, pertaining to Socrates; see -ic

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.

Professors at the small, private, third-tier law school I attended in the 1980s employed the Socratic method to force us to argue both sides of an issue.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

I was scared about whether, even with my hearing aids, I would be able to keep up with the quick-fire exchanges that fill my classroom as I engage law students in the Socratic method.

From Slate • Oct. 20, 2024

For example, GPT-4 can assume a Socratic style of conversation and respond to questions with questions.

From Reuters • Mar. 15, 2023

“The Socratic view is that you want … an examined life,” Emanuel told me, “and what I was trying to do was encourage people to examine their lives when it comes to aging.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2023

A Socratic dialogue raged within him: How unusual was the resulting position if he followed that particular line?

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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