peripatetic

1 of 2

adjective

peri·​pa·​tet·​ic ˌper-ə-pə-ˈte-tik How to pronounce peripatetic (audio)
1
a
: of, relating to, or given to walking
b
: moving or traveling from place to place : itinerant
2
capitalized : aristotelian
peripatetically adverb
Peripateticism noun

peripatetic

2 of 2

noun

1
2
peripatetics ˌper-ə-pə-ˈte-tiks How to pronounce peripatetic (audio) plural : movement or journeys hither and thither
3
capitalized : a follower of Aristotle or adherent of Aristotelianism

Did you know?

Are you someone who likes to think on your feet? If so, you've got something in common with the followers of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Not only a thinker and teacher, Aristotle was also a walker, and his students were required to walk along beside him as he lectured while pacing to and fro. Thus it was that the Greek word peripatētikos (from peripatein, meaning "to walk up and down") came to be associated with Aristotle and his followers. By the way, the covered walk in the Lyceum where Aristotle taught was known as the "peripatos" (which can either refer to the act of walking or a place for walking).

Examples of peripatetic in a Sentence

Adjective She worked as a peripatetic journalist for most of her life. He had a peripatetic career as a salesman.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
My destination was the Screen Door, a tiny ice-cream shop in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint that is currently serving as the host of Border Town, a peripatetic breakfast-taco pop-up. Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2024 Moreover, relations with the BSO were souring over his peripatetic workload, and what had once seemed a magical association with the orchestra appeared increasingly stale. Tim Page, Washington Post, 9 Feb. 2024 Anne Edwards, a prodigious and peripatetic author who published best-selling books about the actresses Vivien Leigh and Katharine Hepburn as well as 14 other celebrity biographies, eight novels, three children’s books, two memoirs and one autobiography, died on Jan. 20 in Beverly Hills, Calif. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 31 Jan. 2024 The peripatetic lifestyle of the movie business, traveling the world to make and promote movies, suits Thomas just fine. Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2023 But due to the former couple's peripatetic lifestyle, this will be particularly hard to gauge. Sabienna Bowman, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 Alaïa’s Pieter Mulier Is Following a Legend—And Pushing the Storied House Into the Future Published this month, Roger Lewis’s more than 600-page biography Erotic Vagrancy: Everything About Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor retraces this peripatetic existence in almost excruciating detail. Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 4 Nov. 2023 Imbued with a heady pedigree and a peripatetic upbringing, Mr. Nichols evolved instinctively from a cosmopolitan New Yorker and world traveler to a Western writer of the purple sage. Sam Roberts, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2023 The peripatetic gathering is supposed to travel next to Eastern Europe, and the host country should already have been announced. Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 25 Nov. 2023
Noun
Many forces conspire against the peripatetic. New York Times, 11 Dec. 2021 The peripatetic pinniped inspired two children’s books, including one with photos by Pulitzer Prize winner Stanley Forman. Jon Chesto, BostonGlobe.com, 26 Dec. 2022

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle French & Latin; Middle French peripatetique, from Latin peripateticus, from Greek peripatētikos, from peripatein to walk up and down, discourse while pacing (as did Aristotle), from peri- + patein to tread; akin to Sanskrit patha path — more at find

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of peripatetic was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Peripatetic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peripatetic. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

peripatetic

adjective
peri·​pa·​tet·​ic
ˌper-ə-pə-ˈtet-ik
: going about from place to place : itinerant

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