Schopenhauer

American  

[shoh-puhn-hou-er, shoh-puhn-hou-uhr] / ˈʃoʊ pənˌhaʊ ər, ˈʃoʊ pənˌhaʊ ər /

noun

1. Arthur 1788–1860, German philosopher.

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Schopenhauer British  

/ ˈʃoːpənhauər, ˌʃəʊpənˈhaʊərɪən /

noun

1. Arthur (ˈartʊr). 1788–1860, German pessimist philosopher. In his chief work, The World as Will and Idea (1819), he expounded the view that will is the creative primary factor and idea the secondary receptive factor

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Other Word Forms

• Schopenhauerian adjective
• Schopenhauerism noun

Example Sentences

In his program note, Sharon quotes the doom-laden philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer as an inspiration for Wagner’s nothing-is-real masterpiece.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

On what philosopher she thinks of when she thinks of pasta: Maybe Schopenhauer … yes, probably him.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 21, 2023

Reason, as Schopenhauer puts it, echoing Hume, is the hard-pressed servant of the will.

From Salon • Nov. 1, 2020

Bursting with amusing trivia, insights and cultural references, he is on a quest to make even Schopenhauer relatable.

From Washington Post • Sep. 17, 2020

At its heart lies a theory Wagner drew from Schopenhauer, from Buddhism and from Christianity, that self-enlightenment, or personal redemption, is achieved by denying oneself gratification, resisting temptation and seeking an understanding of fellow-suffering.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall