philosophize

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

Definition of philosophize

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

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Other Words from philosophize

philosophizer noun

Examples of philosophize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Blessed with a sharp mind, Sturgis loved to philosophize. Erin Mccarthy, Philly.com, "Mark Sturgis: A big 'teddy bear' with a strong sense of self," 13 July 2018 In this coming-of-age tale, Mike resides with his mom and moves from job to job, pulling us with him every step, never condescending, sometimes philosophizing and only occasionally preaching. Helene Stapinski, New York Times, "Jungle Mold, Ornithology and Lawn Care: 3 New Novels Find Hilarity in Unexpected Places," 1 June 2018 The beginning of the speech sounded like a foreign policy address, with Tillerson philosophizing about the importance of the US maintaining its historic alliances and keeping its adversaries in check. Laura Koran, CNN, "Tillerson says leaders who 'conceal the truth' risk freedom," 16 May 2018 The post received dozens of comments, ranging from laments over the fox’s reported demise, to circle-of-life philosophizing to off-topic mentions of a certain game this weekend and where to find the best cheesesteaks. Joseph A. Gambardello, Philly.com, "Bald eagle takes down fox? Elkins Park abuzz over report," 16 Jan. 2018 Fortune will be kind to our efforts to philosophize, ideate, and innovate. Aliza Kelly Faragher, Allure, "What Your Sign's 2018 Horoscope Predictions Mean for You," 19 Dec. 2017 On one side are the well-established, tenured professors who have risen to their positions of authority by philosophizing in the standard, armchair mode. Daniel Engber, Slate Magazine, "What it means to call the critics of Rebecca Tuvel’s paper on transracialism “bullies.”," 30 May 2017 These futile attempts to philosophize one’s way into political relevance are a symptom of what happens when a Left retreats from activism and adopts a spectatorial approach to the problems of its country. Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic, "The Book That Predicted Trump’s Rise Offers the Left a Roadmap for Defeating Him," 6 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'philosophize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of philosophize

1594, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

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More Definitions for philosophize

philosophize

verb

English Language Learners Definition of philosophize

: to talk about something in a serious way for a long time

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