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Dictionary / philosophy

philosophy

/fɪˈlɒs.ə.fi/ (Received-Pronunciation)/fɪˈlɑ.sə.fi/ (General-American)syllables: phi·los·o·phy
  • noun
  • verb
  • from Old French

An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.

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1 All current definitions

Every sense of “philosophy” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.

noun

  1. uncountableAn academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.

    Philosophy is often divided into five major branches: logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics.

  2. countableA view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.

    a philosophy of government; a philosophy of education

  3. countableA general principle (usually moral).

    As a matter of fact the Enlightment culture was based on a philosophy inspired to an ethical laicism whose aim was to create a better society based on principles such as solidarity, equality of rights and duties, and full freedom.2012, Francesca Valensise, From Building Fabric to City Form: Reconstruction in Calabria at end of Eighteenth Century, Gangemi Editore spa, →ISBN, page 8:

  4. countableA comprehensive system of belief.
Older & obsolete senses (4)
  1. archaicuncountableThe love of wisdom.
  2. dateduncountableA calm and thoughtful demeanor; calmness of temper.
  3. countabledateduncountableSynonym of small pica (especially in French printing).
  4. archaiccountableA broader branch of (non-applied) science.
Wiktionary: “philosophy” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

verb

No current senses for this part of speech — see older senses.

Older & obsolete senses (1)
  1. archaicTo philosophize.
Wiktionary: “philosophy” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0
Cross-check: WordNet senses (3)
  1. nouna belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school — also: doctrine, philosophical system, school of thought, ism
  2. nounthe rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics
  3. nounany personal belief about how to live or how to deal with a situation
Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License

Synonyms: philosophy

Wiktionary: “philosophy” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

2 History of the word

The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.

The word’s journey, newest to oldest:

  1. English (today)philosophy
  2. Middle Englishphilosophie
  3. Old Frenchphilosophie
  4. Latinphilosophia
  5. Ancient Greekφιλοσοφία (philosophía)
  6. Ancient Greekφίλος (phílos) “loving” + σοφία (sophía) “wisdom”

From Middle English philosophie, from Old French philosophie, from Latin philosophia, from Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophía), from φίλος (phílos, “loving”) + σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”). By surface analysis, philo- + -sophy. Displaced Old English ūþwitegung.

Wiktionary: “philosophy” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Derivatives — words built from “philosophy”

antiphilosophyastrophilosophybiophilosophycounterphilosophycyberphilosophyecophilosophyecosophyethnophilosophyfoolosophygeophilosophymetaphilosophyneurophilosophynonphilosophyphilosophistphilosophizephilosophylikePhilosothonphysiophilosophyprotophilosophypseudophilosophypsychophilosophyreligiophilosophysociophilosophytechnophilosophytheophilosophyunphilosophy

Phrases & compounds

analytic philosophycontinental philosophycritical philosophyDoctor of Philosophyfirst philosophymoral philosophynatural philosophynature philosophyordinary language philosophyOxford philosophyperennial philosophypersonal philosophyphilosophy of mindphilosophy of sciencerosewater philosophysocial philosophyspeculative philosophysynthetic philosophyUnix philosophy

Related terms

philologistphilologyphilosopherphilosophicphilosophicalphilosophicallyphilosophisephilosophizeethicsideology
Wiktionary: “philosophy” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Want to go deeper? See also “philosophy” on Etymonline ↗

3 Original language

Where “philosophy” came from before it was English.

Came into English from
Old French
Old French philosophie
Oldest written form
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek φίλος + σοφία
Wiktionary: “philosophy” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

4 Original meaning

What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.

Built from
φίλος (phílos) “loving” + σοφία (sophía) “wisdom”

Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913

A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.

philosophy n. [OE. philosophie, F. philosophie, L. philosophia, from Gr. filosofi`a. See Philosopher.]

  1. Literally, the love of, inducing the search after, wisdom; in actual usage, the knowledge of phenomena as explained by, and resolved into, causes and reasons, powers and laws.
  2. A particular philosophical system or theory; the hypothesis by which particular phenomena are explained.
  3. Practical wisdom; calmness of temper and judgment; equanimity; fortitude; stoicism; as, to meet misfortune with philosophy.
  4. Reasoning; argumentation.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), public domain, via GCIDE

5 Use it with confidence

Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.

nounMeaning: An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.

Philosophy is often divided into five major branches: logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics.

During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant[…]1661, John Fell, The Life of the most learned, reverend and pious Dr. H. Hammond:

nounMeaning: A view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.

a philosophy of government; a philosophy of education

nounMeaning: A general principle (usually moral).

As a matter of fact the Enlightment culture was based on a philosophy inspired to an ethical laicism whose aim was to create a better society based on principles such as solidarity, equality of rights and duties, and full freedom.2012, Francesca Valensise, From Building Fabric to City Form: Reconstruction in Calabria at end of Eighteenth Century, Gangemi Editore spa, →ISBN, page 8:

nounMeaning: any personal belief about how to live or how to deal with a situation

self-indulgence was his only philosophy

my father's philosophy of child-rearing was to let mother do it

Princeton WordNet 3.0 — WordNet License
Wiktionary: “philosophy” (via kaikki.org) — CC BY-SA 4.0

Three steps to owning it

  1. Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
  2. Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
  3. Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?

6 The mastery game

Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.

Step 1 of 8

Say it, then spell it

philosophy

/fɪˈlɒs.ə.fi/ · phi·los·o·phy

Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.

Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________

philosophy

/fɪˈlɒs.ə.fi/ · phi·los·o·phy · noun, verb

Step 1 — Say it and write it

Say “philosophy” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.

Step 2 — Know every meaning

Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.

1. (noun) An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.
2. (noun) A view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.
3. (noun) A general principle (usually moral).
4. (noun) A comprehensive system of belief.

Step 3 — Which meaning is it?

“Philosophy is often divided into five major branches: logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics.”

A. A general principle (usually moral).
B. A comprehensive system of belief.
C. An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.

Circle the meaning used.

“a philosophy of government; a philosophy of education”

A. A general principle (usually moral).
B. A view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.
C. A comprehensive system of belief.

Circle the meaning used.

Step 4 — History and origin

Which language did “philosophy” come into English from?   A. Ancient Greek  B. Old French  C. Latin  D. Middle French

Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):

Write three words built from “philosophy” and what each means:

Step 5 — Original meaning

Read the etymology on the page. What does it tell you about the word’s earlier meaning?

How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?

Step 6 — Use it yourself

Write a sentence using “philosophy” to mean: An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.
Write a sentence using “philosophy” to mean: A view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.
Write a sentence using “philosophy” to mean: A general principle (usually moral).

☐ I can explain its meanings   ☐ I know its history   ☐ I know its original language   ☐ I know its original meaning   ☐ I can use it confidently

Answer key — philosophy

Which meaning, sentence 1: C. An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.

Which meaning, sentence 2: B. A view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.

Origin: B. Old French (Old French philosophie)

Journey: English philosophy ← Middle English philosophie ← Old French philosophie ← Latin philosophia ← Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία ← Ancient Greek φίλος + σοφία

Some derivatives: antiphilosophy, astrophilosophy, biophilosophy, counterphilosophy, cyberphilosophy, ecophilosophy, ecosophy, ethnophilosophy

Built from: φίλος “loving” + σοφία “wisdom”

Etymology: From Middle English philosophie, from Old French philosophie, from Latin philosophia, from Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophía), from φίλος (phílos, “loving”) + σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”). By surface analysis, philo- + -sophy. Displaced Old English ūþwitegung.

Sources: Wiktionary “philosophy” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/philosophy#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/philosophy