philosophy

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   any personal belief about how to live or how to deal with a situation

   Self-indulgence was the politician's only philosophy.

2. 2
   noun

   An academic discipline that seeks truth through reasoning rather than empiricism, often attempting to provide explanations relating to general concepts such as existence and rationality.

   Philosophy is often divided into five major branches: logic, metaphysics, epistemology, ethics and aesthetics.

3. 3
   noun

   A view or outlook regarding fundamental principles underlying some domain.

   a philosophy of government; a philosophy of education

4. 4
   noun

   A general principle (usually moral).

   As a matter of fact the Enlightment culture was based on a philosophy inspired to an ethical laicism whose aim was to create a better society based on principles such as solidarity, equality of rights and duties, and full freedom.

5. 5
   noun

   Synonym of small pica (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.

6. 6
   noun

   A broader branch of (non-applied) science.

   natural philosophy

7. 7
   verb

   To philosophize.

   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.

8. 8
   noun

   a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school

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.