Word
philosophy
Phoneticsphi·los·o·phy
US/fəˈɫɑsəfi/
UK/fɪlˈɒsəfi/
Definitions
01academic study
n. the study of the nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.
n. the academic discipline that uses reason and logic to investigate the nature of reality, ethics, and human existence.
“She decided to study philosophy at university to understand different ways of thinking.”
“The department offers a rigorous introduction to Western philosophy, focusing primarily on the transition from classical metaphysics to modern existentialism.”
Academic
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when referring to the field of study.
Synonyms
02personal belief system
n. a set of beliefs or ideas that guide how you live or work.
n. a particular system of principles or beliefs for conduct or for the explanation of a specific domain.
“The company's philosophy is to put the customer's needs first.”
“His coaching philosophy emphasizes long-term player development over immediate competitive results, even during the championship season.”
Usage
Commonly used as a countable noun in this sense.
03calmness
n. a calm and sensible way of dealing with a difficult situation.
n. a calm and stoic attitude toward life's difficulties or disappointments.
“He accepted the loss of his job with philosophy, believing that a better opportunity would come.”
“She endured the series of administrative setbacks with remarkable philosophy, refusing to let the delays affect her professional focus.”
Formal
Usage
Often appears in the phrase 'to take something with philosophy'.
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Did he start out with a parenting philosophy?” “But these remakes show there are things to be learned from the games of the past, and a lot that is enviable about their design philosophy.” Etymology
From Middle English philosophie, Old French philosophie, and their source, Latin philosophia, from Ancient Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophía), from φίλος (phílos, “loving”) + σοφία (sophía, “wisdom”). By surface analysis, philo- + -sophy. Displaced Old English ūþwitegung.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/philosophy