🤔 Skeptical and witty 🧑‍🎓 A skeptic

Voltairian

9.9

A person who follows Voltaire's ideas of doubt, sharp wit, and free speech

noun
/voʊlˈtɛəriən/

Formal

: volteriano

As a proud Voltairian, he often spoke out against censorship and defended individual rights.

Examples

Her essays revealed her as a true Voltairian, always questioning authority and promoting free speech.
The debate included a well-known Voltairian who argued for the separation of church and state.
Many Voltairians advocate for freedom of expression.
A true Voltairian questions everything.
As a dedicated Voltairian, she passionately advocated for the right to criticize government policies.
The Voltairian in the discussion emphasized the importance of challenging dogmatic beliefs.
His writings clearly identified him as a Voltairian, promoting rational thought and questioning religious dogmas.

Synonyms

Voltairean

vsVoltairian

Formal

9.5

A person who supports reason, free thought, and religious tolerance

focuses more on skepticism, free speech, and opposing religious authority

How Voltairean

freethinker

5 7.1

Voltairian

Formal

9.9

skeptic

77 4.1

traditionalist

6 6.5

Surface Forms

Voltairian singular

Voltairians plural

Morphology

Voltairian = Voltaire (transparent) = Voltaire + ian

Standard denominal/onymic noun formation from a proper name using '-ian' to indicate a follower or supporter; the connection is straightforward if the learner recognises 'Voltaire'.

Etymology

Voltairian comes from the name Voltaire, and a Voltairian is someone who follows his ideas of 'freedom of speech' and questioning the power of the church. So a Voltairian often speaks out against censorship and defends people's rights.