sophist
pronunciation
How to pronounce sophist in British English:
UK [ˈsɒfɪst]
How to pronounce sophist in American English:
US [ˈsɑfɪst]
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- Noun:
- someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious
Word Origin
- sophist (n.)
- "one who makes use of fallacious arguments," mid-15c., earlier sophister (late 14c.), from Latin sophista, sophistes, from Greek sophistes "a master of one's craft; a wise or prudent man, one clever in matters of daily life," from sophizesthai "to become wise or learned," from sophos "skilled in a handicraft, cunning in one's craft; clever in matters of everyday life, shrewd; skilled in the sciences, learned; clever; too clever," of unknown origin. Greek sophistes came to mean "one who gives intellectual instruction for pay," and at Athens, contrasted with "philosopher," it became a term of contempt. Sophists taught before the development of logic and grammar, when skill in reasoning and in disputation could not be accurately distinguished, and thus they came to attach great value to quibbles, which soon brought them into contempt. [Century Dictionary]
Example
- 1. The education of sophist and the diversion of greek philosophy .
- 2. The good faith is a wisdom , accumulates along with sophist 's seeking .
- 3. According to this view , man is not merely the measure of all things as the greek sophist protagoras had radically proclaimed in the fifth century .
- 4. It was basically a selfish act , though no doubt a sophist would argue that it was done . For the general good .
- 5. Mum is the sophist who teaches you to view and feel the world around and in mind first .