sophist
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈsɑːfɪst/
- Offensive
:
sofista
- Both Plato and Aristotle vigorously vilified the sophists, suggesting their own method was the only way to teach and live.
I mean, there's others where there's there it gets pretty antagonistic where he's talking with particular sophists.
- I mean, there's others where there's there it gets pretty antagonistic where he's talking with particular sophists.
Examples
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During the debate, she used techniques like a sophist, turning facts into fluid interpretations.
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The politician was often accused of being a sophist because of his clever but misleading arguments.
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What makes a person a sophist is not his faculty, but their moral choice.
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The great sophist has succumbed to a layman's outlook.
Academic text (1995) -
Of course, he would teach students to distinguish right from wrong if they appeared unable to do so, the venerable sophist concedes.
Academic text (1995) -
The sophists tried the same takeover of language and were rebuffed.
Blog text (20) -
Socrates has vindicated his earlier characterization of the sophist as a panderer who teaches people to indulge their appetites without regard for morality.
Academic text (1995) -
His reputation as a sophist was cemented when he twisted the evidence to support his flawed conclusion.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A person who uses clever, tricky arguments to solve moral problems
How Deceptive
- Offensive
1
9.9
13
5.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
sophist = sophistry (semi-transparent) = soph + ist
The agentive suffix '-ist' is productive and indicates a person who practices 'sophistry', but 'soph' is a learned combining form and 'sophistry' is not a highly familiar base for many learners.
Etymology
Sophist comes from the ancient Greek sophos, meaning 'wise'. It first named teachers who taught for pay, but thinkers like Plato said some used clever words to trick people, so today sophist means someone who uses smart but misleading arguments.