Meaning & use
sophist
Last updated
originally, a teacher of rhetoric and philosophy in ancient Greece; now, a person who reasons with clever but misleading or fallacious arguments.
See it in a sentence
The ancient sophists taught wealthy young Athenians the art of persuasive argument.
His opponents dismissed him as a sophist more interested in winning the debate than finding the truth.
A note on using this word
Modern use of 'sophist' is usually negative, implying someone who uses clever but deceptive reasoning, unlike the more neutral original meaning in ancient Greece.
Words with a similar meaning
rhetorician
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