philosophy

Less common meanings

4. 4
   love of wisdomnoununcountable

   The love of wisdom, in the original sense of the word.

   For Socrates, philosophy was less a subject to be taught than a lifelong love of wisdom.

   Without philosophy, a scholar becomes a collector of facts rather than a seeker of wisdom.

   Note

   The root meaning is built into the word itself. Ancient Greek philosophía joins phílos "loving" and sophía "wisdom", and the word reached English through Latin and Old French, displacing Old English ūþwitegung. Split it as philo- plus -sophy and this sense falls straight out. Today it surfaces mostly when writers explain what the academic discipline is for at heart. Source

   Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

   • The word's root meaning is love of wisdom. en.wiktionary.org
   • Ancient Greek philosophía combines phílos, meaning loving, and sophía, meaning wisdom. en.wiktionary.org
   • The word reached English through Latin and Old French. en.wiktionary.org
   • Philosophy displaced Old English ūþwitegung. en.wiktionary.org
   • The word can be analysed as philo- plus -sophy. en.wiktionary.org
5. 5
   calm mannernouncountable or uncountable

   A calm and thoughtful manner; steadiness of temper in the face of difficulty.

   He bore the long delay with philosophy, reading quietly while others fumed.

   Grandpa bore the long hospital stay with quiet philosophy, never once complaining.

   UsageUsually with philosophy: bear a delay with philosophy.

   Similarequanimity, composure, patience, stoicism

6. 6
   natural sciencenounarchaiccountable or uncountable

   A broad branch of pure, non-applied science concerned with understanding nature and its laws.

   Note

   An older usage found in earlier writing, where the word still covered the theoretical study of nature: heat, light, the motion of the planets. That was before science took over this ground, and natural philosophy is the familiar survivor of the usage. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

   • Philosophy historically denoted a broad branch of non-applied science. en.wiktionary.org
   • Natural philosophy included the study of heat and light. gutenberg.org
   • Natural philosophy included the study of planetary motion. gutenberg.org
   • The modern natural sciences developed out of natural philosophy. en.wikipedia.org
   • The expression natural philosophy preserves this historical science sense. en.wiktionary.org
7. 7
   verbarchaic

   To reason about or discuss fundamental questions in a philosophical manner.

   Plato hath (in my seeming) loved this manner of Philosophying, Dialogue wise in good earnest, that therby he might more decently place in sundry mouthes the diversity and variation of his owne conceits.

   1603, Michel de Montaigne, The Essayes

   UsageIn modern English, use philosophize.

   Note

   An archaic verb, replaced in modern English by philosophize. John Florio's 1603 translation of Montaigne's Essayes has Plato loving "this manner of Philosophying, Dialogue wise." Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • Florio's translation of Montaigne's Essayes was first published in 1603. luminarium.org
   • John Florio was the translator of Montaigne's Essayes. leicester.omeka.net
   • Florio's translation describes Plato as loving this manner of philosophying and contains the exact quoted wording. hyperessays.net
8. 8
   noundatedcountable or uncountable

   A size of printing type equivalent to small pica, used especially in French printing.

   Although I prefer small pica. Or as its^([sic]) sometimes known, philosophy. – Small pica, or philosophy, she said. It sounds like the title of a novel. With a girl heroine.

   2010, Thomas Wharton, Salamander

   Note

   A printer's name for a type size, now dated. It is another name for small pica and belongs especially to French printing. The oddity of the name is the joke in Thomas Wharton's Salamander (2001): one character mentions that small pica is also called philosophy, and another says the pairing sounds like the title of a novel. Source

   Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

   • In printing, philosophy is another name for small pica, especially in French printing. en.wiktionary.org
   • Thomas Wharton wrote Salamander, first published in 2001. thomaswharton.ca
   • In Salamander, one character gives philosophy as another name for small pica, and another says the pairing sounds like a novel's title. en.wiktionary.org