Socrates

[ sok-ruh-teez ]

noun

1. 469?–399 b.c., Athenian philosopher.

Socrates

/ ˈsɒkrəˌtiːz /

noun

1. Socrates?470 bc399 bcMAthenianPHILOSOPHY: philosopher ?470–399 bc , Athenian philosopher, whose beliefs are known only through the writings of his pupils Plato and Xenophon. He taught that virtue was based on knowledge, which was attained by a dialectical process that took into account many aspects of a stated hypothesis. He was indicted for impiety and corruption of youth (399) and was condemned to death. He refused to flee and died by drinking hemlock

Socrates

1. An ancient Greek philosopher who was the teacher of Plato .

Notes

Socrates said that an oracle of the gods had pronounced him the wisest of all people, because he knew how little he knew.

When Socrates was an old man, the citizens of Athens (see also Athens ) condemned him to death, alleging that he denied the reality of the gods and corrupted the youth of Athens. Socrates calmly drank the poison he was given — hemlock — and died a noble death.

The Socratic method of teaching proceeds by question and answer as opposed to lecture.

Other Words From

• an·ti-Soc·ra·tes adjective
• pro-Soc·ra·tes adjective

Example Sentences

Off the pitch Vinicius Jr won the second ever Socrates Award last year, given to the footballer who has performed the best humanitarian work worldwide.

From BBC

Consider the old chestnut, “All Greeks are mortal, Socrates is Greek, therefore Socrates is mortal.”

From Salon

Williams retrieved the work, which had been removed, and it was reinstalled in later exhibitions at Socrates Sculpture Park in New York and the Anderson Collection at Stanford University.

From New York Times

Beneath stained glass windows and murals of Dante and Socrates, guests wearing tuxedos sipped martinis while a violinist performed classical covers of pop songs by Keane and Taylor Swift.

From New York Times

He buttressed his ever eccentric legalese with a flight of literary allusion invoking both Socrates and The Rolling Stones.

From Los Angeles Times