pre-Socratic
|pre-so-krat-ic|
/ˌpriːsəˈkrætɪk/
before Socrates (early Greek philosophers)
Etymology
'pre-Socratic' originates from the Latin prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae') meaning 'before' combined with 'Socratic,' derived from the name 'Socrates' (Greek 'Sōkrátēs').
'pre-Socratic' developed in modern scholarly English (19th century) as a compound meaning 'before Socrates,' influenced by similar formations in other languages (e.g. German 'Vorsokratiker'); it became established in English as 'pre-Socratic' (also seen as 'Presocratic' or 'presocratic').
Initially it literally indicated 'before Socrates'; over time it came to function as a technical label grouping various early Greek philosophers and their ideas under the term 'Pre-Socratic.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a member of the group of early Greek philosophers who lived and wrote before Socrates (used collectively: the Pre-Socratics).
Thales and Heraclitus are often counted among the Pre-Socratics.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/23 05:17