theosophy

English

Alternative forms

• theosophie (archaic)
• Theosophy

Etymology

From Medieval Latin theosophia, from Ancient Greek θεοσοφῐ́ᾱ (theosophĭ́ā, “knowledge of things divine”, from θεός (theós, “god”) +‎ σοφῐ́ᾱ (sophĭ́ā, “wisdom”)); analogous to theo- +‎ -sophy.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /θɪˈɒsəfɪ/
• (General American) IPA^(key): [θiˈɑs.ə.fi]

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: the‧os‧o‧phy

Noun

theosophy (usually uncountable, plural theosophies)

1. (philosophy, religion) Any doctrine of religious philosophy and mysticism claiming that knowledge of God can be attained through mystical insight and spiritual ecstasy, and that direct communication with the transcendent world is possible.
   • 1984 Oct, Tanith Lee, “Bite-Me-Not, or Fleur de Feu”, in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine‎^[1], volume 8, Davis Publications, →ISSN:

     They have their own traditions of art and science. They do not […] discuss God or metaphysics or men. […] All their wisdom and theosophy, and all their grasp of beauty, truth or love, is in the singing. […] They look unloving enough, and so they are. Pitiless fallen angels.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:theosophy.
2. (religion) Any system which claims to attain communication with God and superior spirits by physical processes.
   • 2000, Urszula Szulakowska, The alchemy of light : geometry and optics in late Renaissance alchemical illustration, Leiden [u.a.]: Brill, →ISBN, page 8:

     In Paracelsian theosophy, empathetic imagination was […] a powerful astral force which provided the basis for theurgy and prognostication, as well as for prophecy and mystical inspiration.

   • 2007, Henrik Bogdan, Western esotericism and rituals of initiation, Albany: State University of New York Press, published 2012, →ISBN, page 103:

     […] was founded by the theosophist and kabbalist Martines de Pasqually […] included a peculiar form of theurgy mixed with the philosophy and theosophy of its founder.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:theosophy.
3. The system of beliefs and doctrines of the Theosophical Society.

Derived terms

• theosophic
• theosophical
• theosophist, theosopher
• theosophize, theosophise

Translations

doctrine of religious philosophy and mysticism

• Ancient Greek: θεοσοφία f (theosophía)
• Armenian: թեոսոֆիա (hy) (tʻeosofia), աստվածիմացություն (hy) (astvacimacʻutʻyun)
• Belarusian: тэасо́фія (teasófija)
• Bulgarian: теосо́фия f (teosófija)
• Catalan: teosofia f
• Czech: teosofie
• Danish: teosofi
• Dutch: theosofie (nl)
• Estonian: teosoofia
• Finnish: teosofia (fi)
• French: théosophie (fr) f
• Georgian: თეოსოფია (teosopia)
• German: Theosophie (de) f
• Greek: θεοσοφία (el) f (theosofía)
• Hindi: थियोसोफी (hi) m (thiyosophī)
• Hungarian: teozófia (hu)
• Icelandic: guðspeki f
• Italian: teosofia (it) f
• Korean: 신지학 (sinjihak)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: teosofî f, hikmeta îlahî f, tesewif (ku) f

• Latin: theosophia f
• Malay: teosofi
• Norwegian: teosofi m
• Polish: teozofia (pl) f
• Portuguese: teosofia (pt) f
• Romanian: teozofie (ro) f
• Russian: теосо́фия (ru) f (teosófija)
• Serbo-Croatian: teozofija (sh)
• Spanish: teosofía (es) f
• Swedish: teosofi (sv)
• Tagalog: batharunungan
• Tajik: ваҳдония (vahdoniya)
• Tatar: теософия (teosofiyä)
• Turkish: teosofi
• Ukrainian: теосо́фія f (teosófija)
• Vietnamese: thông thiên học

Further reading

• “theosophy”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “theosophy”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “theosophy”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.