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

Urbano’s work evokes a complex past that hasn’t yet occurred and a future that already has—a present that has always already been, to employ the idea of non-dialectical temporality favored by philosopher Maurice Blanchot. —Javier Montes, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026

No doubt this is the case for many philosophers and physicists as well. —Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

The column was built between 180 CE, the year the Roman philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius died, and 193 CE. —CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025

Those philosophers are better considered the forebears of the more august tradition of criticizing stuff without doing it first. —Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 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