philosophy

B1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /fɪˈlɑ.sə.fi/ UK /fɪˈlɒ.sə.fi/ See IPA manual

Freq #5163

Meanings

1

noun
The study of ideas about life, knowledge, truth, and the meaning of existence.

She studied philosophy and history at university.
2

noun
A person's set of beliefs about how to live or how to do something.

His philosophy is to enjoy every day as it comes.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a person's set of beliefs... worldview ethos

Word family

Forms philosophies

Derived forms antiphilosophyastrophilosophybiophilosophycounterphilosophycyberphilosophyecophilosophyecosophyethnophilosophyfoolosophygeophilosophymetaphilosophyneurophilosophy

Related forms ethics philologist philology philosopher philosophic philosophical philosophically philosophise philosophize

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.

philosophie Middle English philosophia Latin φιλοσοφία Ancient Greek

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# philosophy

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /fɪˈlɑ.sə.fi/
**IPA (UK):** /fɪˈlɒ.sə.fi/
**Frequency rank:** 5163

## Meanings
1. The study of ideas about life, knowledge, truth, and the meaning of existence.
2. A person's set of beliefs about how to live or how to do something.

## Examples
- She studied philosophy and history at university.
- His philosophy is to enjoy every day as it comes.

## Derived Forms
- antiphilosophy
- astrophilosophy
- biophilosophy
- counterphilosophy
- cyberphilosophy
- ecophilosophy
- ecosophy
- ethnophilosophy
- foolosophy
- geophilosophy
- metaphilosophy
- neurophilosophy

## Related Forms
- ethics
- philologist
- philology
- philosopher
- philosophic
- philosophical
- philosophically
- philosophise
- philosophize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: philosophie
- Root: philosophia
- Root: φιλοσοφία

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Philosophy comes 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. In present-day English it covers the study of ideas about life, knowledge, truth, and the meaning of existence and a person's set of beliefs about how to live or how to do something. The wider family includes derived forms such as antiphilosophy, astrophilosophy, biophilosophy, counterphilosophy, cyberphilosophy and related forms such as ethics, philologist, philology, philosopher.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

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philosophy

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