prime mover
1
9.9
- noun
- /praɪm ˈmuːvər/
- Formal
:
primer motor
- Didn't Jason's death indicate some awful truth about the cosmos—that if it has a divine direction, then its prime mover is whimsy?
And FFS thy towards the deity, the noose, the self-sufficient thinker who moves the world as prime mover.
- And FFS thy towards the deity, the noose, the self-sufficient thinker who moves the world as prime mover.
Examples
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For historical reasons, Germany has not only been a prime mover of European integration at every stage, but has also been more willing than most EC member states to relinquish some of its sovereignty to make such integration viable.
Academic text (1993) -
It was without question his idea, and he was the prime mover behind the site.
Blog text (1) -
Like it or not, he was the prime mover.
Fiction book (1999) -
Therefore there must be a prime mover, let's call that guy.
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Muslim scholars, between the 10th and 14th centuries, were the prime movers behind the development of the scientific method.
Blog text (10) -
It has been the prime mover behind the totalitarian social system.
Academic text (1992) -
Apparently, Judge Jones didn't even know about Aristotle's "prime mover."
Blog text (16) -
He prefers to represent himself simply as the prime mover of the anthology.
Academic text (1993) -
While many point to Aristotle and the Greek philosophers as the prime movers behind the development of the scientific method, this is too much of a leap.
Blog text (10) -
In Aristotle's philosophy, the concept of the prime mover refers to an uncaused cause that initiates all existence.
Synonyms
2
9.9
A being or force believed to be the original reason everything exists and was not made by anything
A being that starts all motion and has no cause itself
How Primary
Surface Forms
Morphology
prime + mover
A learner who knows 'prime' as 'primary/first' and 'mover' as 'one who moves' can plausibly infer a rough meaning of 'the main or first agent that causes motion' (i.e. a primary cause). However, the specific philosophical/theological nuance of an uncaused first cause (and associated technical usage) is not fully predictable from the constituents, so full understanding would likely require prior exposure.
Etymology
The phrase prime mover may come from Aristotle's picture of a first being that sets everything in motion without itself moving. The parts prime meaning 'first' and mover meaning 'one that moves' give a clear image, so today prime mover is used for 'the main cause' or 'the first force' that starts something.