Standard Lemma guide

Socratic

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • British, Southern, Standard: /səˈkɹatɪk/
  • General-American: /səˈkɹætɪk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S AH0 K R AE1 T IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the philosopher Socrates or his philosophy or methods.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Socratean, Socratian

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the philosopher Socrates or his philosophy or methods.

Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Socratic irony or the Socratic method.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, specifically

Examples

  • a Socratic question

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Socratean, Socratian

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A proponent of the philosophy or methods of Socrates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

of or relating to Socrates or to his method of teaching

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Socratic teaching

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek Σωκρᾰ́της (Sōkrắtēs) Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Hellenic *-kos Ancient Greek -κός (-kós) Ancient Greek -ῐκός (-ĭkós) Ancient Greek Σωκρᾰτῐκός (Sōkrătĭkós)bor. Latin Sōcratic(us)bor. English Socratic Borrowed from Latin Sōcratic(us). By surface analysis, Socrat(es) + -ic.

Across languages

Translations

21 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: socràtic — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Czech: sokratovský — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Danish: sokratisk — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • French: socratique — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Georgian: სოკრატული (soḳraṭuli) — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • German: sokratisch — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Ancient Greek: Σωκρατικός (Sōkratikós) — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Italian: socratico — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Norwegian Bokmål: sokratisk — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Polish: sokratejski — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Polish: sokratyczny — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Portuguese: socrático — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Russian: сократи́ческий (sokratíčeskij) — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Spanish: socrático — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Swedish: sokratisk — characteristic of the philosopher Socrates
  • Old Armenian: սոկրատիկոս (sokratikos) — follower of Socrates
  • German: Sokratiker — follower of Socrates
  • Ancient Greek: Σωκρατικός (Sōkratikós) — follower of Socrates
  • Polish: sokratejczyk — follower of Socrates
  • Portuguese: socrático — follower of Socrates
  • Russian: сокра́тик (sokrátik) — follower of Socrates