fə̇ˈläs(ə)fə(r) sometimes -äzəf- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English philosopher, philosophre, modification (influenced by -er ) of Middle French philosophe, from Latin philosophus, from Greek philosophos, from phil- + -sophos (from sophia wisdom, from sophos wise + -ia -y)
1.
a. : one who seeks wisdom or enlightenment : reflective thinker : scholar , investigator
the philosopher , traditionally, is thought of as a person whose chief interest is in attempting to discover the innermost essence of reality — Theodore Brameld
b. : a specialist in the synthesis of knowledge
a philosopher … must attempt to give us a comprehensive account of human values and a plausible theory of human destiny — Eliseo Vivas
— compare philosophy 2d
c. : a student of philosophy
2. obsolete : one versed in an occult science ; specifically : alchemist
3.
a. : one whose life is governed by reason : a person whose philosophical perspective enables him to meet trouble with equanimity : rationalist
to a philosopher there is some compensation for blindness in the increased acuity of the other senses
b. : the expounder of a theory in a particular area of experience
he is no philosopher of freedom, but he is certainly a fighter for freedom — C.P.Romulo
c. : philosophizer
Bowery Thespian and philosopher — American Guide Series: New York City