Aristotelian

American  

[ar-uh-stuh-teel-yuhn, -tee-lee-uhn, uh-ris-tuh-] / ˌær ə stəˈtil yən, -ˈti li ən, əˌrɪs tə- /

Or Aristotelean

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, based on, or derived from Aristotle or his theories.

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noun

1. a follower of Aristotle.

Aristotelian British  

/ ˌærɪstəˈtiːlɪən /

adjective

1. of or relating to Aristotle or his philosophy

2. (of a philosophical position) derived from that of Aristotle, or incorporating such of his major doctrines as the distinctions between matter and form, and substance and accident, or the primacy of individuals over universals

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noun

1. a follower of Aristotle

Other Word Forms

• anti-Aristotelian adjective
• half-Aristotelian adjective
• post-Aristotelian adjective
• pro-Aristotelian adjective
• pseudo-Aristotelian adjective

Etymology

Origin of Aristotelian

1600–10; < Latin Aristotelī ( us ) < Greek Aristotéleios of Aristotle + -an

Example Sentences

Venn gave us a simple, turn-the-crank means of clearly seeing why the 15 forms of the Aristotelian syllogism – and only those 15 forms – are valid.

From Salon • Jul. 29, 2024

“Whatever those Aristotelian time-place things are; it’s kind of a big gulp. For this one, the idea of a full two-act opera was interesting to me.”

From New York Times • Feb. 16, 2023

Brecht’s epic theater was born in opposition to the traditional Aristotelian formula.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2023

From an intellectual historical perspective, the reintroduction of the Aristotelian perspective into Western thought owes much to the thought of Aquinas.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

It was a truly Aristotelian way of thinking—yet the void would soon unseat Aristotle once and for all.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife