What does "stoic" mean?
Proponent of stoicism, a school of thought, from in 300 B.C.E. up to about the time of Marcus Aurelius, who holds that by cultivating an understanding of the logos, or natural law, one can be free of suffering.
Stoic
/ˈstəʊ.ɪk/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Proponent of stoicism, a school of thought, from in 300 B.C.E. up to about the time of Marcus Aurelius, who holds that by cultivating an understanding of the logos, or natural law, one can be free of suffering.
- Grammar: stoic is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: unemotional person, abstemious, academic, accepting.
- Useful contrasts: peevish, sensitive, affective.
- Usage evidence: After Tom died, Mary found the house filled with a jumble of newspapers, children's toys and old holiday decorations. With stoic determination, Mary began to unjumble the attic contents before she put the rest of the house in order.
How to use "stoic"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stoic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stoic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stoic" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "stoic" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
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3. Confirm with context
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 Proponent of stoicism, a school of thought, from in 300 B.C.E. up to about the time of Marcus Aurelius, who holds that by cultivating an understanding of the logos, or natural law, one can be free of suffering.
"The anima mundi, to whose disposal of his own personal destiny the Stoic consents, is there to be respected and submitted to, but the Christian God is there to be loved; and the difference of emotional atmosphere is like that between an arctic climate and the tropics, though the outcome in the way of accepting actual conditions uncomplainingly may seem in abstract terms to be much the same."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of stoic. alt-of
- 3 A student of Stowe School, England.
- 4 a member of the ancient Greek school of philosophy founded by Zeno wordnet
- 5 A person indifferent to pleasure or pain.
"Even a Rolls-Royce owner, I began to feel, would be a stoic to travel across Europe by car when the "Rheingold" is on offer."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 someone who is seemingly indifferent to emotions wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the Stoics or their ideas.
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of stoic. alt-of
- 3 Not affected by pain or distress.
- 4 Not displaying any external signs of being affected by pain or distress.
"It makes a tremendous emotional and practical difference to one whether one accept the universe in the drab discolored way of stoic resignation to necessity, or with the passionate happiness of Christian saints."
Adjective
- 1 seeming unaffected by pleasure or pain; impassive wordnet
- 2 pertaining to Stoicism or its followers wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"After Tom died, Mary found the house filled with a jumble of newspapers, children's toys and old holiday decorations. With stoic determination, Mary began to unjumble the attic contents before she put the rest of the house in order."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stoic"?
Common synonyms include: unemotional person, abstemious, academic, accepting, adherent, affective detachment.
How do you use "stoic" in a sentence?
After Tom died, Mary found the house filled with a jumble of newspapers, children's toys and old holiday decorations. With stoic determination, Mary began to unjumble the attic contents before she put the rest of the house in order.
How do you pronounce "stoic"?
Pronounced /ˈstəʊ.ɪk/.
Etymology
From Latin stōicus (noun via Middle English Stoycis pl), from Ancient Greek Στωϊκός (Stōïkós), from Ποικίλη Στοά (Poikílē Stoá, “the Stoa Poikile”, literally “painted portico”), the portico in Athens where Zeno of Citium was teaching.