philosopher

UK: /fɪˈlɒsəfə^r/ US: /fɪˈlɑsəfɚ/ ,(fi los′ə fər)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

phi•los•o•pher /fɪˈlɑsəfɚ/   n. [countable]

1. Philosophy one who offers views and theories on, or who thinks about, profound questions of right or wrong, the nature of existence, truth, and logic, and other related issues.
2. Philosophy one who regulates or controls his or her life by philosophy.
3. one who is calm or thinks before acting, esp. under difficult circumstances.

See -phil-, -soph-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

phi•los•o•pher  (fi los′ə fər), n. 

1. Philosophy a person who offers views or theories on profound questions in ethics, metaphysics, logic, and other related fields.
2. Philosophy a person who is deeply versed in philosophy.
3. Philosophy a person who establishes the central ideas of some movement, cult, etc.
4. Philosophy a person who regulates his or her life, actions, judgments, utterances, etc., by the light of philosophy or reason.
5. a person who is rationally or sensibly calm, esp. under trying circumstances.
6. [Obs.] an alchemist or occult scientist.

• Greek philósophos philosopher, equivalent. to philo- philo- + soph(ía) wisdom (see -sophy) + -os noun, nominal suffix
• Latin philosophus
• Latin philosophus); replacing Old English philosoph
• Anglo-French (Middle French philosophe
• Middle English, variant of philosophre bef. 900

phi•los′o•pher•ship′, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

philosopher / fɪˈlɒsəfə/ noun

1. a student, teacher, or devotee of philosophy
2. a person of philosophical temperament, esp one who is patient, wise, and stoical
3. (formerly) an alchemist or devotee of occult science