Aristotelian
adjective
Ar·is·to·te·lian
ˌa-rə-stə-ˈtēl-yən 
variants
or less commonly Aristotelean
: of or relating to the Greek philosopher Aristotle or his philosophy
Aristotelian
noun
Examples of Aristotelian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The cultural synthesis of the High Middle Ages, which combined Christian religious beliefs with rationalistic Aristotelian philosophy, was an uneasy melding of dogma, reason, and appeals to authority.
—
Peer Vries, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2016
In the book, the murder happens in Montana, a reflection of Maclean’s Aristotelian commitment to unity of place but perhaps also a way of exorcising guilt over inviting his brother to Chicago, of telling himself that Paul would have met the same fate anywhere.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
This is one of Maimonides’ concessions to Aristotelian logic and seems to run contrary to the meaning of the Bible, not to mention the thousands of pages of Jewish commentary on the Bible.
—Jay M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2014
Farming offers time for reflection — an Aristotelian balance between nourishing and strengthening the physical body and deepening and improving our souls.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2024
As Becky Wins And Stratton Shines For those who don’t know, first principles are an Aristotelian concept of finding axioms or ideas that don’t follow from any other proposition, theory or assumption.
—John Werner, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
The dictates of Aristotelian drama, in which the climax should also reveal some hidden truth, seemed to be calling her narrative shots.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2023
The appropriate response, and the Aristotelian one, would be to agree with the spirit of the remark.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Peer Vries, Foreign Affairs, 8 Dec. 2016
In the book, the murder happens in Montana, a reflection of Maclean’s Aristotelian commitment to unity of place but perhaps also a way of exorcising guilt over inviting his brother to Chicago, of telling himself that Paul would have met the same fate anywhere.
—Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, 1 July 2024
This is one of Maimonides’ concessions to Aristotelian logic and seems to run contrary to the meaning of the Bible, not to mention the thousands of pages of Jewish commentary on the Bible.
—Jay M. Harris, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2014
Farming offers time for reflection — an Aristotelian balance between nourishing and strengthening the physical body and deepening and improving our souls.
—Armstrong Williams, Baltimore Sun, 13 Mar. 2024
As Becky Wins And Stratton Shines For those who don’t know, first principles are an Aristotelian concept of finding axioms or ideas that don’t follow from any other proposition, theory or assumption.
—John Werner, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024
The dictates of Aristotelian drama, in which the climax should also reveal some hidden truth, seemed to be calling her narrative shots.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2023
The appropriate response, and the Aristotelian one, would be to agree with the spirit of the remark.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
Dictionary Entries Near Aristotelian
Cite this Entry
“Aristotelian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Aristotelian. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share