natural philosophy

noun

natural philosopher noun

Examples of natural philosophy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Amid the calamities of the Civil War, motion had emerged as the concept that linked natural philosophy to political theory. Merve Emre, The New Yorker, 29 Jan. 2024 Remember that a disproportionate contribution by the Arabs was in the domain of natural philosophy, the precursor to science. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 30 Aug. 2010 My criticisms were in part grounded in my perspective as a specialist in the history of early modern natural philosophy. Justin E. H. Smith, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2023 Florin is an instructor in Goethean science, a natural philosophy derived from German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe that takes a 360-degree approach to science and nature, emphasizes the intimate and intuitive experience between observer and the observed. Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 23 Apr. 2022 There, daily Bible study shared a dense curriculum with history, geography, mathematics, natural philosophy, Greek, Latin, music and rhetoric. Ian Zack, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2023 Prior to the modern era astrology and other pseudo-sciences were part of the body of natural philosophy. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 30 Aug. 2010 In 1687, Isaac Newton first published his Principia Mathematica, a three-volume work setting out his mathematical principles of natural philosophy. BostonGlobe.com, 5 July 2021 The word scientist itself was new, having only been coined in 1833, the result of a newly professionalizing discipline that was moving away from an older model of natural philosophy. Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 21 July 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'natural philosophy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of natural philosophy was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near natural philosophy

Cite this Entry

“Natural philosophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20philosophy. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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