Old English; earliest use found in Orosius' History. In Old English from classical Latin philosophus; in later use, especially in sense 2, largely reborrowed from Anglo-Norman and Old French, Middle French, French philosophe an authority of ancient learning, e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, person who studies or practises philosophy, in early use especially a scholar studying science, theology, and humanities with speculative methods, alchemist, free-thinker, rationalist philosopher from classical Latin philosophus lover of wisdom, philosopher from ancient Greek ϕιλόσοϕος from ϕιλο- + σοϕός wise.