philosopher

noun

phi·​los·​o·​pher fə-ˈlä-s(ə-)fər 

1

a

: a person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment : scholar, thinker

b

: a student of philosophy

2

a

: a person whose philosophical perspective makes meeting trouble with equanimity easier

b

: an expounder of a theory in a particular area of experience

c

: one who philosophizes

Examples of philosopher in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In a 2021 article written in the midst of the chaos of the pandemic, philosopher Marcelo Vieira Lopes argues that one way to discuss these changes is as loss of trust. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 5 Sep. 2025

Elsewhere there will be Waiting For the Out, the adaptation of Andy West’s memoir written by Dennis Kelly about a philosopher teaching prisoners concepts such as dominance and free will only to have his own past unravel. —Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025

Oresme’s Problemata has been well researched — much of the text is even available online —but the philosopher’s claims about the Shroud had been overlooked for centuries. —Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025

The National Conservatism Conference, called Natcon, was started in May 2019 by Israeli-American philosopher Yoram Hazony to bring together and advance nationalist conservative thought leaders from around the world. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English philosophe, philosophre, from Anglo-French, from Latin philosophus, from Greek philosophos, from phil- + sophia wisdom, from sophos wise

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing philosopher

• philosopher's stone

Kids Definition

philosopher

noun

phi·​los·​o·​pher fə-ˈläs-(ə-)fər 

1

a

: a person who seeks wisdom or enlightenment : scholar, thinker

b

: a student of philosophy

2

: a person who is calm and patient when faced with trouble