philosopher

noun

phi·​los·​o·​pher fə-ˈlä-s(ə-)fər How to pronounce philosopher (audio)
Synonyms of philosopher
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A number of my professors went on to become quite famous philosophers such as Nicholas Wolterstorff and Alvin Plantinga. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026 Wendell Berry, the prolific novelist, poet, essayist, philosopher, agrarian, activist, pacifist and farmer, who was one of Kentucky's greatest writers and helped inspire the farm-to-table and modern American food movement, has died. — Courier Journal Staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026 Yet some European philosophers were intrigued by the monism of Vedanta philosophy, whereas Evangelical Christians saw the same monism as a foundation for proselytizing Christian monotheism. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 Aug. 2026 Imagine if early astronomers, medical researchers and philosophers used modern-day AI technology and limited their studies to the automatic answers that pop up in search engines. — Patricia Steckler, Baltimore Sun, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for philosopher

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of philosopher was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing philosopher

Browse Nearby Words

philosopheme
philosopher
philosopher's game
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Philosopher.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosopher. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

philosopher

noun
phi·​los·​o·​pher fə-ˈläs-(ə-)fər How to pronounce philosopher (audio)
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

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