philosophy

noun

fə-ˈlä-s(ə-)fē How to pronounce philosophy (audio)
Definition of philosophynext
as in ideology
the basic beliefs or guiding principles of a person or group our philosophy is to do no harm to anyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of philosophy That willingness to accept responsibility is central to Bucci’s philosophy. — Gemma Redrup, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Different hypersonic model Cost sits at the center of Blackbeard’s design philosophy. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026 Rich Dad’s philosophy, hammered home over and over again in the book, is a fundamentally impoverished way of looking at the world. — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 That restraint, that desire for collaboration, isn’t just philosophy. — Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for philosophy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for philosophy
ideology
Noun
  • In a country increasingly divided along political ideologies, partisan politics are coming together to answer the age old dynamic between privacy and security.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • This week, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly declared his opposition to the event, labeling RSS ideology as exclusionary and contrary to the pluralistic views of the city.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of ideology

Browse Nearby Words

philosophizing
philosophy
philter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Philosophy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/philosophy. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dissonant

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All