sophister

American  

[sof-uh-ster] / ˈsɒf ə stər /

noun

1. a specious, unsound, or fallacious reasoner.

2. Chiefly British. (especially formerly) a second or third year student at a university.

3. Obsolete. an ancient Greek sophist.

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sophister British  

/ ˈsɒfɪstə /

noun

1. (esp formerly) a second-year undergraduate at certain British universities

2. rare another word for sophist

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Etymology

Origin of sophister

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French sophistre < Latin sophista. See sophist

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sophister

Well, Domine Cregan, come along with us, and never put faith in a junior sophister.

From Confessions Of Con Cregan An Irish Gil Blas by Charles James Lever

The undergraduate is called in his first year a junior freshman, in his second a senior freshman, in his third a junior sophister, and in his fourth a senior sophister.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 7 "Drama" to "Dublin" by Various

Tennyson's was not an unmitigated optimism, and had no special confidence in "The herd, wild hearts and feeble wings    That every sophister can lime."

From Alfred Tennyson by Andrew Lang

By that he hath heard one mooting and seen two plays, he thinks as basely of the university as a young sophister doth of the grammar-school.

From Character Writings of the 17th Century by Various

And notwithstanding the good reasons given in by some of the university why this charge was fitter for an orator than a sophister, there was chosen for this purpose our Master Janotus de Bragmardo.

From Gargantua and Pantagruel, Illustrated, Book 1 by Peter Anthony Motteux