What does "peripatetic" mean?
One who walks about; a pedestrian; an itinerant.
Peripatetic
/ˌpɛɹ.ɪ.pəˈtɛt.ɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who walks about; a pedestrian; an itinerant.
- Grammar: peripatetic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: aristotelian, adherent, ahasuerus, ambulant.
- Useful contrasts: contemporary, fixed, local.
- Usage evidence: After peripatetic upbringing that took her from America to Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and England, [Mary-Kay] Wilmers read French and Russian at Oxford.
How to use "peripatetic"
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Meaning check
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Source and review context
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
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Check whether "peripatetic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who walks about; a pedestrian; an itinerant.
- 2 A disciple of Aristotle. historical
"And though it be True indeed, that some Aristotelians have occasionally written against the Chymical Doctrine he Oppugnes, yet since they have done it according to their Principles, And since our Carneades must as well oppose their Hypothesis as that of the Spagyrist, he was fain to fight his Adverfaries with their own Weapons, Those of the Peripatetick being Improper, if not hurtfull for a Person of his Tenents ; besides that those Aristotelians, (at Least, those he met with,) that have written against the Chymists, seem to have had so little Experimental Knowledge in Chymical Matters, that by their frequent Mistakes and unskilfull way of Oppugning, they have too often expos'd Themselves to the Derision of their Adversaries, for writing so Confidently against what they appear so little to understand."
- 3 a follower of Aristotle or an adherent of Aristotelianism wordnet
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of Peripatetic (“Aristotelian”). alt-of, capitalized, usually
"He who would think clearly must think like a peripatetic even if he is unwilling to walk like one."
- 5 a person who walks from place to place wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Tending to walk about.
- 2 Of or pertaining to the philosophy or methods of Aristotle, or to his followers. not-comparable
- 3 Constantly travelling.
"After peripatetic upbringing that took her from America to Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and England, [Mary-Kay] Wilmers read French and Russian at Oxford."
- 4 Alternative letter-case form of Peripatetic. alt-of, capitalized, usually
"The true peripatetic school."
Adjective
- 1 traveling especially on foot wordnet
- 2 of or relating to Aristotle or his philosophy wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"After peripatetic upbringing that took her from America to Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and England, [Mary-Kay] Wilmers read French and Russian at Oxford."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "peripatetic"?
Common synonyms include: aristotelian, adherent, ahasuerus, ambulant, ambulative, ambulator.
How do you use "peripatetic" in a sentence?
After peripatetic upbringing that took her from America to Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and England, [Mary-Kay] Wilmers read French and Russian at Oxford.
How do you pronounce "peripatetic"?
Pronounced /ˌpɛɹ.ɪ.pəˈtɛt.ɪk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From French péripatétique, from Latin peripatēticus, from Ancient Greek περιπατητικός (peripatētikós, “given to walking around”), from περιπατέω (peripatéō, “I walk around”), from περί (perí, “around”) (English peri-)+ πατέω (patéō, “I walk”).
Etymology 2
From Latin peripatēticus, from Ancient Greek περίπατος (perípatos, “strolling, covered walk, conversation while walking”), from περιπατέω (peripatéō, “I walk around”), from περί (perí, “around”) + πατέω (patéō, “I walk”). Aristotle’s school was sometimes called the περιπατητικοί (peripatētikoí) "those who are prone to walking" or οἱ ἐκ τοῦ περιπάτου (hoi ek toû peripátou, “those from the walk”) in reference either to his supposed habit of teaching while traversing the περίπατοι (perípatoi, “walkways”) of the Lyceum or simply to the walkways themselves with which the school became associated.