SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
philosophy
noun
Reasoned inquiry into fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, values, and how to live.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Inquiry into fundamental questions
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topMetaphysics, ethics, and epistemology name branches of philosophy. Rational inquiry is broader and can concern ordinary investigation; a system of thought is one possible product of philosophical inquiry.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See philosophy in use
The introductory philosophy course asked students to examine the grounds for their beliefs.
In a philosophy seminar, students asked whether keeping a promise could be wrong when breaking it would help someone in serious difficulty.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license