philosophize

verb

phi·​los·​o·​phize fə-ˈlä-sə-ˌfīz How to pronounce philosophize (audio)
philosophized; philosophizing

intransitive verb

1
: to reason in the manner of a philosopher
2
: to expound a moralizing and often superficial philosophy

transitive verb

: to consider from or bring into conformity with a philosophical point of view
philosophizer noun

Examples of philosophize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Until then, head count and fund-raising were badges of honor among founders, who philosophized that bigger was better. Erin Griffith, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 These individuals must be capable of both philosophizing about code and coding philosophical insights. Josipa Majic Predin, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024 It’s got the least amount of philosophizing about it. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024 This balancing act wouldn’t work without the cast’s stellar dexterity, including Zazie Beetz as Earn’s partner Van, and LaKeith Stanfield as Alfred’s philosophizing best friend Darius. Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 13 Apr. 2024 See All Example Sentences for philosophize

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of philosophize was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Philosophize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/philosophize. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

philosophize

verb
phi·​los·​o·​phize fə-ˈläs-ə-ˌfīz How to pronounce philosophize (audio)
philosophized; philosophizing
1
: to think like a philosopher
2
: to talk about life as if one were a philosopher
philosophizer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on philosophize

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