What does "gymnosophy" mean?

A philosophy and lifestyle based around the idea that nudity is a natural condition and should be widely acceptable in society.

How do you pronounce "gymnosophy"?

Pronounced //d͡ʒɪmˈnɒsəfi//.

Common synonyms include: abstention, abstinence, altogether, asceticism, avoidance, birthday suit.

//d͡ʒɪmˈnɒsəfi// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
A philosophy and lifestyle based around the idea that nudity is a natural condition and should be widely acceptable in society. historical, uncountable
2
the doctrine of a sect of Hindu philosophers who practiced nudity and asceticism and meditation wordnet

From gymno- + -sophy. Compare gymnosophist § Etymology.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.