SOPHIST

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

• SOPHIST (noun)
  The noun SOPHIST has 2 senses:

1. any of a group of Greek philosophers and teachers in the 5th century BC who speculated on a wide range of subjects

2. someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious

  Familiarity information: SOPHIST used as a noun is rare.

• SOPHIST (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of a group of Greek philosophers and teachers in the 5th century BC who speculated on a wide range of subjects

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Sophist" is a kind of...):

philosopher (a specialist in philosophy)

Derivation:

sophistic (of or pertaining to sophists)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Someone whose reasoning is subtle and often specious

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

casuist; sophist

Hypernyms ("sophist" is a kind of...):

ratiocinator; reasoner (someone who reasons logically)

Derivation:

sophism (a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone)

sophistic; sophistical (plausible but misleading)