Thales

American  

[they-leez] / ˈθeɪ liz /

noun

1. c640–546? b.c., Greek philosopher, born in Miletus.

---

Thales British  

/ ˈθeɪliːz /

noun

1. ?624–?546 _bc , Greek philosopher, mathematician, and astronomer, born in Miletus. He held that water was the origin of all things and he predicted the solar eclipse of May 28, 585 _bc

---

Thales Scientific  

/ thā′lēz /

1. Greek philosopher who was considered by later Greek writers to be a founder of geometry and abstract astronomy. He is said to have accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 585 bce, although this and certain other stories associated with Thales have been questioned by modern scholars.

---

Thales Cultural  

1. An ancient philosopher of Greece, called by some the first genuine Greek philosopher. He lived about 600 years before Jesus and about 150 years before Socrates.

---

Discover More

Thales is known for predicting an eclipse and thus contributing to the idea that the heavens were separate from the gods.

Example Sentences

A South African court ruled Thursday that a long-running arms deal corruption case against former president Jacob Zuma and French defence giant Thales can proceed, rejecting bids to delay the trial.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

These are made by the French firm Thales at its factory in east Belfast.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and tensions in the Middle East have injected renewed impetus on governments to shore up their air defenses, a boost for companies like Thales that provide such systems and technology.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

German company Rheinmetall saw its shares tumble 17 percent between February 27 and March 27, while Thales dropped 6.7 percent and RTX -- formerly Raytheon Technologies -- fell 6.4 percent.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

“Nor,” as Saint Augustine ruefully complained, “did he, any more than Thales, attribute the cause of all this ceaseless activity to a divine mind.”

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan