pre-Socratic

adjective

pre-So·​crat·​ic ˌprē-sə-ˈkra-tik How to pronounce pre-Socratic (audio)
-sō-
: of or relating to Greek philosophers before Socrates
pre-Socratic noun

Examples of pre-Socratic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web For me my personal disaffection with Indian and Islamic civilization was completed by my reading of Chinese philosophers, in particular Xun Zi, as well as the pre-Socratics of the Greeks. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2010

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pre-Socratic.' 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

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pre-Socratic was in 1871

Dictionary Entries Near pre-Socratic

Cite this Entry

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

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