sophist

English

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin sophista, also sophistes, itself borrowed from Ancient Greek σοφιστής (sophistḗs, “pursuer of wisdom”), from σοφίζομαι (sophízomai, “to become wise”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsɒfɪst/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈsoʊfɪst/

Noun

sophist (plural sophists)

1. One of a class of teachers of rhetoric, philosophy, and politics in ancient Greece.
2. (loosely) A teacher who used plausible but fallacious reasoning.
3. (loosely, by extension) One who is captious, fallacious, or deceptive in argument.

   Synonym: logic chopper

4. (dated) Alternative form of sophister (“university student who has completed at least one year”)

Usage notes

• The meaning of "sophist" can vary depending on the time period to which one is referring. A sophist of the earliest period was a master in his art or craft who demonstrated (taught by example) his practical skill/learning in exchange for pay. Later sophists were providers of a well-rounded education intended to give pupils arete – "virtue, human excellence". By late antiquity, sophistḗs / sophistes tended to denote exclusively a skilled public speaker and/or teacher of rhetoric.

Related terms

• sophism
• sophister
• sophisticated
• sophistress
• sophistry
• sophomore

 

Translations

ancient teacher of rhetoric, etc.

• Catalan: sofista m or f
• Czech: sofista m
• Esperanto: sofisto
• Galician: sofista m or f
• German: Sophist (de) m, Sophistin (de) f
• Greek: σοφιστής (el) m (sofistís)

  Ancient: σοφιστής m (sophistḗs)

• Italian: sofista (it) m or f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: sòfist (sh) m

• Spanish: sofista m or f
• Swedish: sofist (sv) c

one who is captious, fallacious, or deceptive in argument

• Arabic: سُوفَسطَائِيّ‎ m
• Catalan: sofista m or f
• Czech: sofista m
• Galician: sofista m or f
• German: Sophist (de) m

• Greek: σοφιστής (el) m (sofistís)
• Persian: سوفیست‎ m
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Roman: sòfist (sh) m