philosopher

philosopher — noun

1. someone whose subject is the big questions of human life, truth, knowledge, and

1.nounB2
Definition

someone whose subject is the big questions of human life, truth, knowledge, and right and wrong, often through teaching or books.

Example

At university, Hana hopes to become a philosopher of law.

pattern: philosopher of + subject

The museum showed letters written by a Greek philosopher long ago.

collocation: Greek philosopher

Common collocations
  • Greek philosopher
  • moral philosopher
  • political philosopher
  • philosopher of law
  • philosopher of mind
Synonyms
  • thinker

    broader, and not always tied to the academic subject of philosophy

  • scholar

    broader, often stressing careful study rather than original ideas

  • intellectual

    broader, often used for a public writer or critic rather than a specialist in philosophy

Grammar Patterns

a philosopher of + subject

Greek / ancient / modern philosopher

philosopher who + writes or teaches about ideas

Usage Note

Often used with an area after of, such as philosopher of law or philosopher of mind. In everyday English, thinker is broader; philosopher usually suggests someone linked to the subject of philosophy or a known tradition of ideas.

Common Mistakes

My sister studies philosophy, so she is a philosophy.
My sister studies philosophy, so she is a philosopher.
philosophy is the subject; philosopher is the person.
The TV host invited a psychologist to explain Plato.
The TV host invited a philosopher to explain Plato.
A philosopher works on questions about truth, knowledge, and ethics; a psychologist studies the mind through psychology.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Philosopher is more specific than thinker. A thinker can be anyone with serious or original ideas, even outside the study of philosophy. A philosopher usually deals with questions such as truth, knowledge, ethics, and how people should live, and the word often suggests a recognized field or tradition. Scholar overlaps when the person studies texts or history carefully, but scholar is broader and may belong to any subject. Intellectual is broader again, often describing a public writer or speaker. Theorist often stresses building a system of ideas. Use philosopher for Plato or Hannah Arendt, thinker for a creative leader, and intellectual for someone active in public debate.

thinker ↗scholar ↗intellectual ↗theorist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Greek philosopher
  • moral philosopher
  • political philosopher

Phrases

  • become a philosopher
  • quote a philosopher
  • read a philosopher

Prepositions

  • philosopher of

Etymology

GreekLatinOld FrenchEnglish

Philosopher came into English through Old French and Latin from Greek philosophos, a word meaning 'lover of wisdom'. It joins philo-, meaning 'loving', with sophia, meaning 'wisdom'. Over time, English used philosopher for a person whose work centers on those big questions.