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

The Book of Dead Philosophers by Simon Critchley eases this worry by presenting the life and death of nearly 200 philosophers in short, engaging, humorous profiles. —Theodore McDarrah, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

So the academy—a panel of forty-five linguists, scientists, philosophers, and others—makes formal recommendations about how the language can and cannot change. —Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

Similarly, the philosopher and linguistics scholar Mikhail Bakhtin highlights the changeable and flexible features in speech genres. —Tham Thi Nguyen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026

As far back as ancient Greece, philosophers like Aristotle have worried about what happens when people are called on to make judgments in cases where they are involved. —Austin Sarat, Fortune, 24 May 2026

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