Cartesian

[ kahr-tee-zhuhn ]

adjective

1. of or relating to Descartes, his mathematical methods, or his philosophy, especially with regard to its emphasis on logical analysis and its mechanistic interpretation of physical nature.

noun

1. a follower of Cartesian thought.

Cartesian

/ kɑːˈtiːzɪən; -ʒjən /

adjective

1. of or relating to the works of René Descartes
2. of, relating to, or used in Descartes' mathematical system

   Cartesian coordinates

3. of, relating to, or derived from Descartes' philosophy, esp his contentions that personal identity consists in the continued existence of a unique mind and that the mind and body are connected causally See also dualism

noun

1. a follower of the teachings and methods of Descartes

Derived Forms

• Carˈtesianˌism, noun

Other Words From

• Cartesian·ism noun
• post-Car·tesian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cartesian¹

1650–60; < New Latin Cartesiānus, equivalent to Cartesi ( us ) (Latinization of Descartes ) + -ānus -an

Example Sentences

A sense of French Cartesian order thrums through the house.

From New York Times

“I’m very Cartesian. I like to break down a recipe and show how it is done,” he says.

From Washington Post

In the 1830s Gauss realized that each complex number—numbers that have real and imaginary parts, like 1 – 2i—can be displayed on a Cartesian grid.

From Literature

I didn’t want to live in a place submitting to the Cartesian anxiety that the mind and the body are disconnected.

From Los Angeles Times

Today, within society and the sciences, these Cartesian views are rarely tolerated.

From Scientific American