different between philosopher vs thinkers

English

Alternative forms

• phylosopher (nonstandard)

Etymology

From Middle English philosophre, from Anglo-Norman or Middle French philosophe, from Latin philosophus, from Ancient Greek ????????? (philósophos, literally “lover of wisdom”) + -er.

Credited as having been coined by Pythagoras to describe himself.

Displaced native Old English ?þwita.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /f??l?s.?.f?(?)/
• (US) IPA^(key): /f??l?s?f??/

Noun

philosopher (plural philosophers)

1. (originally) A lover of wisdom.
2. A student of philosophy.
3. A scholar or expert engaged in or contributing to philosophical inquiry.
   • 2007, Harold Bloom, Bloom's Modern Critical Views: Stephen King

     Their playwrights knew better. Scandal, murder, hair-rending and railing against the gods sold tickets. King is not a philosopher. He knows how to sell tickets.

4. (archaic) A person who applies the principles of philosophy to the conduct of their life, as by acting calmly and rationally in the face of inevitable change.

   • Then certaine Philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoikes, encountred him

   • 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

     This is not the sort of happiness which a man would in general wish to owe to his wife; but where other powers of entertainment are wanting, the true philosopher will derive benefit from such as are given.

5. (archaic) A student, scholar, or expert in any branch of knowledge, especially those branches studied prior to being considered part of pure science.
6. (obsolete) An alchemist.
   • 1813, Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Canon's Yeoman's Tale

     Then thus conclude I, since that God of heaven
     Will not that these philosophers neven
     How that a man shall come unto this stone,
     I rede as for the best to let it gon.

   • 1945, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy

     No further progress was made in this science until the Mohammedan alchemists embarked upon their search for the philosopher's stone, the elixir of life, and a method of transmuting base metals into gold.

Antonyms

• nonphilosopher

Related terms

• philosopher's stone
• philosophical
• philosophizer
• philosophy

Translations

References

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fi.l?.z?.fe/

Verb

philosopher

1. to philosophize

Conjugation

Further reading

• “philosopher” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Verb

philosopher

1. first-person singular present active subjunctive of philosophor

English

Noun

thinkers

1. plural of thinker

Anagrams

• rethinks, shtinker